Firstly, there’s the destruction of mature trees in Stapleton that’ll be taking place as part of the Metrobus project – a £100 mn. white elephant of a scheme that’ll knock a mere three and a half minutes off the journey time across the city (according to p.85 of Appendix 6 of the Metrobus Planning Statement. Ed.<\/em>). The trees will be felled as soon as the protesters<\/a> currently occupying them are finally evicted by the council’s bailiffs<\/a>.<\/p>\n Allied to the Metrobus project, there’s the South Bristol Link Road project. This will result in a loss of environmental amenity for many south Bristol residents in its path. It was announced today<\/a> that work on this £44 mn. act of environmental vandalism will start at Easter. Presumably more trees will be felled in the process.<\/p>\n Finally, work has started in the Easton area of the city alongside Easton Way to put in a new cycle facility alongside the dual carriageway. Below is a photograph of the progress of these works to date.<\/p>\n At this point an explanation of what can – and cannot – be seen is advisable.<\/p>\n The works are to provide a new cycle route alongside the dual carriageway.<\/p>\n The digger is sitting atop the remains of a berm<\/a> originally built to provide a noise barrier to the maisonettes alongside the dual carriageway.<\/p>\n Over the years the berm had become covered with mature London plane trees and scrub, providing some much-needed inner city greenery and a valuable habitat for urban wildlife.<\/p>\n Both the trees and the berm are being removed to provide the above-mentioned cycle facility.<\/p>\n![\"earthworks](\"http:\/\/www.slwoods.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/23\/2015\/02\/600pxeaston_way.jpg\")
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