Action Briefing Jun 2003 - Jul 2003
	The Newsletter of Birmingham Friends of the Earth

West Midlands News

Off the rails

Network Rail and its habitat management programme have come under national scrutiny following Hall Green residents' outrage over the felling of several trees.

As with many such cases, the call to Friends of the Earth came on the day the contractors were moving in. There was a flurry of activity but given that the railway embankments are on Network Rail’s land and they had gone through all the "necessary procedures" they had the law on their side and little responsibility for how the site will look upon completion. However, local MP Steven McCabe was alerted and after speaking with other MPs realised that this kind of thing is going on all over the country. Indeed so much so that land slips due to the lack of trees have closed certain lines.

Since then, local Friends of the Earth groups as well as residents' groups and local wildlife trusts have engaged in a campaign to rein in the choppers from Network Rail, winning national, regional and local media coverage. Steve McCabe has introduced an Early Day Motion (EDM 1082), the full text of which can be viewed at edm.ais.co.uk/weblink/html/motion.html/ref=1082. For more info visit www.networkwail.co.uk/

If you see Network Rail trying this on in your area please contact us. We will add it to the growing list of sites Network rail have moved in on, adding to the case for more regulated operation. We now are hearing of plans by Network Rail to place 30-foot high masts along the railway every few miles without any consultation with local people.

Keep sending me your news by any format so I can share it with the regional and wider Friends of the Earth networks. Also, if you and or members of your local group are on email and would like to be on the West Midlands Friends of the Earth e-group then please forward those details to me. Many thanks to James Botham from Birmingham Friends of the Earth for his continued help in the production of this update.

Chris Crean