Coleshill Road Ansley Common Nuneaton

Description

The proposed tree works are associated with the installation of a 16.6km long below-ground pipeline from the Oldbury DSR (Distribution Service Reservoir) to the Meriden DSR. The pipeline installation will comprise permitted development under Schedule 2, Part 13, Class A(a) of the Town and Country Planning (General Permitted Development) (England) Order 2015 (GDPO). The proposed scheme has been confirmed as not Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) development by all of the affected Local Planning Authorities: North Warwickshire Borough Council (reference: PRE/2025/0106), Nuneaton and Bedworth Borough Council (reference: 227412), Solihull Metropolitan Borough Council (reference: PL/2025/01460/EIASCR) and Coventry City Council (reference PL/2025/0001477/SCR). Where the proposed route crosses Coleshill Road, East of Ansley Common, the proposed route was initially going to be drilled to avoid impacting the Seven Foot Wood and highway. However, due to the potential for underground coal mining to have been undertaken in the area, the risk of encountering voids with directional drilling is substantial. Whilst there may be some mitigation measures (drill and grout) that could be undertaken to reduce the risks proposed by this method, the plant, equipment and working area required to do so is the equivalent to that required for ‘open cut’ installation methods i.e. removal of trees/vegetation. A trenchless installation method in this location has therefore been discounted to avoid risk associated with historic coal mining. The requirement for tree removal in the TPO areas area to facilitate the pipeline installation is as follows: - South of Coleshill Road – 9 individual oak trees (marked on site) and various understorey, including holly and hawthorn, comprising approximately 0.0391ha. In addition, Severn Trent needs to remove the lowest branch of the oak tree at the western edge of the working area. - North of Coleshill Road – 14 silver birch, 1 beech, 1 goat willow, 2 ash, 1 field maple, 1 sycamore, 1 hawthorn, comprising approximately 0.0244ha - Around old Railway Line – 2 silver birch, 6 goat willow, 5 hawthorn, plus a number of smaller elder and hawthorn scrub comprising approximately 0.0432ha