Letter: Where There Was Once Birdsong There is Now Just Traffic Noise

Published on: 26 Mar, 2019
Updated on: 26 Mar, 2019

From Nigel Mathias

In response to: Work Starts On the Controversial Station ‘Great Wall’ Development

To the ardent readers of your nature notes.

I work opposite the scenes photographed.

Last week we had blackbirds, goldfinches and wrens singing. Now, silence! There is not one bird singing.

There was a dawn chorus, now there is just the famous Guildford traffic roaring past. The banks and verges are stuffed full of the most appalling litter. It’s really most depressing.

Responses to Letter: Where There Was Once Birdsong There is Now Just Traffic Noise

Jim Allen Reply

March 26, 2019 at 2:33 pm

A tragedy!
Chris Culley Reply

March 26, 2019 at 3:43 pm

Now living now in Dorset I am so sorry to read Mr Mathias observations of the latest devastation being inflicted on, what used to be, a delightful old town. I grew up in Merrow and spent hour upon happy hour playing on the downs.

What on earth were the so-called planners thinking when the ridiculous “improvements” to Newlands Corner were made? Oh, yes, of course, counting the contents of the coffers.

And how dreadful that an attempt was made to keep nesting birds from their natural, and rightful, habitat by the use of suffocating plastic. Please forgive my ‘rant’. The precious green belt around my home of Wimborne in Dorset is rapidly becoming a “concrete jungle” with no thought to infrastructure. Aahhhhh!
David Smith Reply

March 27, 2019 at 6:24 am

Let’s put this into context.

There were barely any trees on the station forecourt.

Network Rail has submitted plans for a high-quality public realm with new landscaping which will be a significant improvement on what’s there currently;

This is a prime town centre development site, not countryside. If people want an office overlooking wildlife this is not the place to have one.

As someone who uses the station every day, I am delighted work is starting to invest and inject new life into this scruffy part of town. With the new bridge going ahead I’m hoping further investment will trickle down into Bedford Wharf which will (with the improved public realm) make a much safer and pleasant walk into the town centre.
Valerie Thompson Reply

March 27, 2019 at 11:47 am

Similar tree-cutting has taken place along the A246. In West Horsley mature trees, causing no hazard to road traffic were removed, while brambles and scrub have been left.

Near Clandon, great gashes have made the verges unsightly where trees have been taken down. Again the brambles are left to rampage uncontrollably.

Meanwhile, with the road or carriageway closures, some joined-together thinking could have led to some of the horrendous trash being removed at the same time.

Guildford’s roads, particularly lay-bys, slip-roads the A3 and the A31 look as if a waste lorry has deliberately strewn its load progressively beside every highway.
It’s disgusting.