Mitigation for the CW route

Building such a complex development as a tramline must not produce a crude scar across the landscape. Heavy mitigation is required whilst building the CW route.

In the Meadows the CW route will run along Queens Walk. This was once a road with vehicular traffic. Its tree-lining is attractive, and there is no intention to fell any trees. The tram should visually adapt quite well into its surroundings.

In Wilford village, since the tram will run between the wildlife habitat of Iremongers Pond and the conservation area for local historic buildings, a high standard of tree planting is required. Alterations to the flood defences and flood storage need care. A street crossing will run over the access to the new secondary school off Coronation Avenue. The school is sympathetic to the CW tram. Certainly the tram will transform the landscape, but this creates exciting opportunities, not the “devastation” some people emotively fear.

The embankment north of Wilford Lane may be retained, or possibly removed, and the tram tracks placed at ground level.

South of Wilford Lane a great deal of tree planting and earth bunding will be provided to screen the tram and reduce noise where it runs close to houses. The ugly and derelict embankment here will be demolished in order to release over 70 feet of land width at the base, and integrate the ground level tram track alignment with a street crossing over the Lane. Placing the tram tracks roughly in the centre of the width enables buffers 24 feet wide each side to be provided for landscaping. On the Wilford side, a new footpath/cycleway will be constructed from Wilford Lane to the Ruddington Lane recreation ground, and this feature, together with a grass verge along the tram tracks, forms about half the width of the buffer. Since the working railway had no trees and shrubs on the embankment slopes, those freshly planted next to the tram will produce a better amenity in respect of noise than ever experienced by the past generation of embankment dwellers when the railway existed.

The drainage question at Wilwell Cutting nature reserve requires resolution with any compensatory measures. The tram route would not actually cross into the SSSI, but would run close.

The tramway will cross the fields south of Silverdale close to houses. Since this is a completely fresh alignment away from the old railway route, there is much flexibility for mitigation.

The tram will enter Clifton estate on Farnborough Road. The remainder of the route is on-street, and mitigation required is not high. The existing trees along Southchurch Drive will be retained. Bays will accommodate the trams next to the shops in the centre of Clifton.

Instead of the present Wilford embankment - poorly used, unattractive, derelict and degrading in a suburban area - let us have an imaginative and fresh landscape created around the CW tram!

A southbound tram pulls into the Old Market Square.

The editor says:

• NET should replant lost trees at a rate of 4 to 1 rather than 2 to 1.
• The highest standard of mitigation is needed to assimilate CW in Wilford village.
• Along Coronation Avenue there should be extra tree planting to screen the tram track positioned on the top of the flood bank defences, to safeguard the amenity of the residents opposite.
• Consideration should be given to placing the ramp from Coronation Avenue up to embankment north on the Bridgford side of the embankment, to safeguard the amenity of residents along Vernon Avenue.
• The footpath along embankment south is unnecessary, since the present one is little used, and a replacement would not enable better pedestrian flow to the tram stops. With no new footpath, a 12 feet wide strip could be given over to more bunding and screening for better householder amenity alongside. A judicious mix of slow and fast growing tree species is required.
• South of Silverdale, consideration should be given to placing the tramline here in a shallow cutting, as a continuation of the old railway cutting.
• The Barton Green tram terminus and park-and-ride for about 800 cars will require careful screening to avoid being a visual intrusion from Clifton pastures.

A tram bound for Hucknall calls at the island platform of Bulwell, built on the site of the former down platform on the Robin Hood Line.

In addition to the mitigation measures along the route of CW, further opportunities for recreation and wildlife habitat creation could be undertaken, possibly a country park along the Trent between Wilford embankment north and Greythorne Dyke, or along Fairham Brook between Silverdale and Ruddington, if the A453 bypass is not routed here.

Such features have been proposed in local planning policy before. With major developments of all kinds, it is often the case that full mitigation is not possible on-site. If the Environmental Statement for CW does not specify off-site environmental enhancement, the country parks suggested above could be long-term considerations with grant-aid sought from the Countryside Agency. The prospect of creating these projects is strengthened by the CW tram, which would serve them – the Wilford village stop, and a fresh one as suggested by CW YES! at Silverdale, next to Fairham Brook itself. Click on Extra tram stop for more information.

Let us have the best deal possible to integrate the tram into the local environment. Let the tram serve recreation and wildlife around Wilford.


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