THE sensitive management of railway embankments is extremely important for many reasons.

However, the drastic felling of many trees and the total clearance of surrounding scrubland has not taken into account of the fact that railway embankments are important for local biodiversity.

Indeed, tree stumps have been drilled and poisoned suggesting the intention is to kill a great deal of what formerly offered an important habitat to many local species.

Preserving biodiversity is important to all of us living in Malvern, especially if you are a bird looking for winter feed, and is an important element of Network Rail's own sustainable development strategy, which says the company will refine its "approach to managing lineside vegetation to both to reduce performance risks and enhance ecological value" and "work with stakeholders to maximise the environmental value and biodiversity of our land assets".

Unfortunately, the clear-cutting of the embankments has not enhanced the ecological value or biodiversity of the land, or been undertaken in consultation with lineside neighbours or other stakeholders.

Neither does such clear-cutting seem to be a "refined approach to managing vegetation".

Dr John Blewitt

Chairman

Malvern Hills Green Party