AS ONE of Kendal’s town and district councillors and specifically as the representative for Aynam Road and many of the surrounding residential areas, I, like many others, read the Environment Agency’s plans for flood defences in Kendal with concern.

The plans look set to decimate the arboreal landscape along the river facing section of Aynam Road. The proposals indicate the removal of around 60 trees and hedges in this area alone. This represents almost the complete population on Aynam Road and could have a severe impact in terms of poor visual impact and the removal of important habitat.

The proposed mitigation, tree replacement on a 4:1 ratio, is - on the face of it - to be welcomed. However, it needs to be considered many of the trees that are being replaced are very mature specimens, and it is a sad fact some replacement trees may be lost to vandalism and the elements (depending on their age and size).

In terms of visual impact it could be many years before something equivalent to the current position can be achieved.

In terms of the provision of wildlife habitat it could take decades before this is efficiently replaced. The trees and hedges provide homes for nesting birds.

In addition the planting along Aynam Road serves to mitigate the amount of air pollution on what is one of the town’s busiest roads in terms of traffic. The removal of trees could have an impact on air quality. Kendal will look and feel very different following these works.

I'm sure the residents of Kendal acknowledge works need to be carried out to minimise the devastating effects of flooding in the future. It is important to note that all three planned phases would need to be carried out to have the maximum impact in terms of protection and prevention and there are valid reasons as to why phase one is being carried out first. While this phase will initially only protect around 170 homes, phases two and three (which have been promised by the Environment Agency) will provide protection to around ten times that number.

I would like to assure people that these plans, put forward by the Environment Agency, are not at this stage the final word on this matter. Along with many of my fellow councillors I am in contact with the EA as we look to mitigate some of the potential losses, both in terms of loss of habitat and the effect on visual impact.

Following our interventions the position with these plans is fluid and subject to amendments. We have managed to gain some valuable concessions regarding the trees in the Abbot Hall area.

You can get up-to-date information from the pop-up shop in the Westmorland Shopping Centre every Wednesday until the end of January.

For me the following points are key and I have expressed these to the relevant bodies.

l Consideration should be given to tweaking the existing plans with regards to the removal of hedges and trees so that a greater number of existing plants are saved, especially in residential riverside areas.

l Tree replacement in areas with the highest footfall density in terms of both residents and tourists should have priority when it comes to the provision of more mature planting.

l Planners should take into account absolutely the emotional attachment people feel to these areas and consider this carefully when signing off the removal of each individual tree or hedge.

Please lodge any comments as soon possible so that your voice may be heard and taken into account. You can do so on the South Lakeland District Council planning applications website. The application reference is SL/2018/0925.

Let’s work together!

Cllr Eamonn Hennessy

South Lakeland District Council Member for Kendal East

Kendal Town Council Member for Kendal Castle