Sir – It’s been a hard time recently for trees in Oxford. The fine mature plane trees in Castle Street have been felled to make room for possible bus stops, when moving the projected stops two feet would have saved them.

A far worse environmental crime has been committed in Jericho where Network Rail has felled the thick growth of trees which shielded Jericho from the mass of sidings north of the railway station. The pastoral has been replaced by the ugly industrial and provided a new panoramic view of the notorious Dudman Way university flats. Just what Jericho needed.

It is claimed part of the site was needed for new sidings but the entire site has been cleared, even those trees on the stream’s edge.

Network Rail has also felled trees on their land bordering Port Meadow. The thick tree cover provided part of the masking of this busy line and now, when viewed from the meadow, gaps have appeared in this screening.

All this destructive work has been carried out without any public consultation by a public body which has a duty for the public good.

It is the public who will have to live with this needless destruction.

Network Rail should stop all future felling, apologise and publish proposals for new planting to try and compensate for the loss of tree cover.

Paul Hornby
Oxford