Plans to cut down more than 50 trees on Woolwich Common for a road widening project are still being pursued – but the NHS trust behind the scheme says it will plant 76 replacement trees instead.

The Lewisham & Greenwich NHS Trust wants to upgrade the road running past Queen Elizabeth Hospital to include a segregated cycle lane.

Hundreds of people filed objections in March after the Friends of Woolwich Common began a campaign against the proposals. Plans to improve the road were first filed in February 2024, but were amended to include the tree felling a year later after Greenwich Council’s transport department said it would prefer to see a segregated route for cyclists. 

Now another set of amendments filed this month includes plans to cut down 53 trees along Stadium Road and Baker Road, but to plant 76 new ones as mitigation. A new consultation has begun, with residents asked to submit their views.

Stadium Road and Baker Road were originally owned by the Ministry of Defence, but were taken on by the NHS when Queen Elizabeth Hospital, originally a military facility, opened to civilians in 2001. The road is narrow and has been notorious for potholes, and is used by several bus routes. Despite a ban on through traffic, it is used by drivers as a cut-through too.

The trust had hoped that Greenwich Council would take on responsibility for the road after the works, but according to the documents, this is no longer possible for the northern part of the road because of issues with the drainage.

Road with traffic on and a cyclist
Greenwich Council’s highways department pressed for the introduction of the segregated cycle lane. Image: The Greenwich Wire

Chris Allen, of the Friends of Woolwich Common, said it was “disappointing” to hear the project would still be going ahead, and said the trust’s chief executive, Ben Travis, had told the group in April that it would not be pursuing the proposal.

He said: “Replacements do not compensate for loss of mature trees. Many of the felled trees, especially hybrid poplars and London planes, are mature carbon sinks and biodiversity hubs. Newly-planted trees are young and small, and will take decades to replace the ecological and carbon value of those lost.

“Although 76 new trees will be planted, many are of the same few species, reducing habitat diversity.”

Mills also raised worries about the maintenance of the new trees, saying there was no guarantee they would survive beyond five years.

“Mature trees are already established and resilient,” he said. “Short-term tree management does not equate to long-term environmental value. Tree survival in urban replanting projects is often poor — many replacement trees fail due to vandalism, drought or poor soil, even with maintenance.”

The Lewisham & Greenwich NHS Trust has been approached for comment.

 The planning application is on the Greenwich Council planning website.

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