July 11, 2017 4.51 pm This story is over 79 months old

Council applies to remove five Lincoln railway station trees after car crushed

Lincoln Transport Hub officers have submitted an application for the removal of five trees from the forecourt of Lincoln Central railway station over concerns for safety. The move comes after one tree fell onto a car as it pulled into the station on June 28. It’s understood the car was severely damaged. The driver escaped unscathed with…

Lincoln Transport Hub officers have submitted an application for the removal of five trees from the forecourt of Lincoln Central railway station over concerns for safety.

The move comes after one tree fell onto a car as it pulled into the station on June 28. It’s understood the car was severely damaged.

The driver escaped unscathed with the help of passers-by.

An investigation was launched by the City of Lincoln Council’s Arboricultural Officers and contractors Willmott Dixon Construction following this.

From this, it has been suggested that roots may have been damaged in the past and that work on the station frontage should not continue unless remaining trees are removed over fears for safety.

If consent to remove the trees is granted, the council will replace them all with the same species – London Plane – in purpose-build tree pits designed to protect them from future damage.

Kate Ellis, Strategic Director for Major Developments at City of Lincoln Council, said:

“Trees in urban environments tend to have roots nearer to the surface, which can affect their stability, and we believe this to be the case here.

“Unfortunately there is a risk if we carry on with this element of the hub scheme without removing the trees that one or more of them could fall.

“We recognise how important these trees are to the landscape, and we propose to replace them with the same species in proper tree pits put in while the repaving takes place.”

Public realm works around the trees have ceased until it is safe to continue.

The council’s Planning Committee will consider the application at its meeting on Wednesday, July 19.