Let there be light

You may recall that back in July last year (here) I reported a plan to fell all the mature trees along Saltaire's Victoria Road. Well, that plan has come to fruition and the sound of chainsaws was heard all last week. They have probably felled about ten trees so far. The orange bollards show where they were. This is the upper section of Victoria Road and they will shortly move down the hill to deal with those in the centre of the village.

They were lovely trees, horse chestnuts and copper beeches, but they had grown way too big for the area in which they were planted. They were not original to the Victorian village, having been planted as recently as the 1950s. But they weren't really the right species for their situation. Their roots have badly damaged the pavements and all those pretty almshouses were getting absolutely no natural light into their little rooms, even in high summer, because of the dense leaf canopy. (I bet they'll all have to redecorate now. They'll be able to see the grime of ages!)

Work will take place to further improve the area, relaying pavements, replacing the street lights with attractive ones more in keeping with the village and planting a few smaller specimen trees in the areas where there is room in the ground (too many services and cables underground in much of the street, I gather.)