90-year-old Tree Cut Down on Chiswick High Road


Removal necessary to enable amendments to Cycleway scheme


Contactors chop up the 90-year-old tree. Picture: Peter Hogan

Contractors working on amendments to the Temporary Cycleway 9 scheme have removed a ninety-year-old tree from Chiswick High Road.

Transport for London and Hounslow Council decided the London Plane tree needed to be cut down to provide room for both the bidirectional cycleway and a left filter lane for turning into Chiswick Lane.

It had been determined that under the original design there had been increased delays as westbound traffic was getting stuck behind vehicles wishing to turn left. This resulted in queues which often stretched back to King Street and was causing delays to bus services which were also being impacted by the removal of bus lanes which are now being partly restored.

The removal of the tree was part of the plan for the permanent cycleway proposed before the pandemic although originally three trees were slated for removal in this section. The council says that the loss of the tree will be compensated for by the planting of ten new trees in the area and possibly 'green rooves' for nearby bus stops. Although the traffic order enabling the works is experimental and therefore the changes are deemed temporary, it is understood this does allow the removal of mature trees is allowed.

A London Plane tree can live for three hundred years and signs were posted on the tree pleading for a reprieve but these were removed by contractors before they cut it down.

Contractors cut branches from the tree. Picture: Peter Hogan

Work on this section of the cycleway is expect to continue until next Easter.


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December 5, 2021