Tree felling ‘devastation worse than building new Heathrow runway’

Residents who use a railway walk between Ormiston and Tynemount have spoken of their horror at the damage caused during the recent installation of two electricity poles on adjoining land.

Dozens of trees have been felled by workers accessing the land, some of which is council-owned.

One angry resident, who contacted the Courier, said: “It is worse than the destruction which will be caused by a third runway at Heathrow; they have just ripped down trees and left devastation all around them.

“I am utterly appalled at the damage this must have caused to wildlife, not to mention the loss of the trees.”

The path is regularly used by people walking in the countryside; however, dozens of trees have been brought down to make room for the new poles.

A spokesperson for East Lothian Council said: “This work is being undertaken by ScottishPower as part of regular pruning and felling work around existing power lines. A new power line is also being installed. This installation, along with associated felling, was agreed some time ago with the landowners. Some of the land is owned by the council and some is in private ownership.”

ScottishPower said the work was part of a £1.5million investment to improve the electricity network in the Ormiston, Fordel and Pathhead area.

A spokesperson said: “We are replacing the majority of overhead lines and wooden poles in the area. Work began in September and is due to be completed early next year.

“SP Energy Networks is dedicated to delivering a safe and reliable electricity supply 24 hours a day, and ensuring our network is resilient to severe weather conditions.

“This involves managing trees that are within a falling distance of our lines. All of our work has been agreed in advance with East Lothian Council, and we issued a community newsletter to all residents in the local area.”