Battle on the bridge: Locals continue to fight to save trees on Clifford Bridge Road
The planned removal of 26 mature trees on Clifford Bridge Road in Coventry, part of the city’s Binley Cycleway project, has sparked intense public debate. While the council asserts the changes are essential for improving cycling infrastructure, many residents view the proposal as environmentally damaging and unnecessary.
The affected trees, some of which are over 150 years old, include a variety of species that contribute to local biodiversity, mitigate flooding, and improve air quality. Campaigners argue that these mature trees provide irreplaceable ecological benefits that young replacements, proposed as part of the project, will take decades to replicate. According to Coventry City Council, the affected trees are in “average condition with limited usable lifespan,” and some are impacted by ash dieback disease. A spokesperson explained, “The trees advertised for removal on Clifford Bridge Road are primarily in average condition and will be replaced as part of a broader replanting effort.” The Council continue to argue for the plans to go ahead as the historic trees will be replaced by thirty two new saplings.
Image from Google Maps
Community opposition has been robust, with over 4,000 signatures on one petition and another on change.orgwith other 2000 to save the trees. On Saturday 16th November a record-breaking tree hug involving 925 people took place which included, environmental advocates and local figures, including the city’s official Lady Godiva, who were all there to voice their opinion about the impact of the tree removal on Coventry's green heritage. An organised of the protest said she was “absolutely stunned” by the amount of people who turned up to express their love for the “beautiful trees”. She added “The council initially told residents that some trees were diseased. When proven wrong, they decided they were stressed, and now they say they have no longevity,”
Speaking to some of the people on the street and also others around the city, there is a lack of understanding and reason for why the council are building the cycle lanes at all as one brandished them as ‘pointless’ and a ‘complete waste of time’.
This is the view is shared by Annette who has lived on Clifford Bridge road for over twenty five years “These trees have been here since we moved in and they should long after we are gone…the cycle lanes don’t get used enough for them to warrant destroying this many trees just look at the Binley road nobody is ever on that one.”
Screen shot of petition with finalised amount of signatures.
For its part, the council maintains that the cycleway is a necessary step in promoting active travel and achieving the city’s net-zero carbon goals. A spokesperson remarked, “Trees are an important part of moving towards net-zero, and we will plant more trees than we remove.” However, critics argue that felling established, carbon-absorbing trees contradicts this mission and there are far less ‘brutal’ ways to go about it.
With calls for alternative designs that preserve the trees growing louder, the debate highlights a broader challenge faced by cities balancing infrastructure development with environmental preservation. Whether Coventry City Council revises its plans remains to be seen, but for now, the future of Clifford Bridge Road’s historic trees hangs in the balance.