National Highways Plans New Tree Planting Trial Along A14 After Previous Losses

National Highways has acknowledged shortcomings in its tree planting efforts along the A14, announcing plans to introduce 50,000 new trees following the failure of many previously planted.

The new planting will take place along the upgraded section of the road between Huntingdon and Cambridge, where a significant number of the original 860,000 trees did not survive.

The government-owned organisation said it had identified several reasons for the losses, including unsuitable rootstock, poor soil conditions, weather impacts and issues with aftercare.

In response, it has launched a trial involving 50,000 trees to test improved methods and guide future planting projects.

Earlier efforts to address the issue included a 2023 commitment to replace around 160,000 trees and shrubs after many failed to establish following the road’s opening in 2020.

Concerns about the landscape were raised last year, when a Cambridgeshire County Council meeting heard that parts of the £1.5 billion scheme appeared barren, prompting some residents to take action by planting trees themselves.

A spokesperson for National Highways said that while the A14 upgrade has delivered benefits in terms of safety, the economy and the environment, its tree planting performance had fallen short. They added that the latest trial aims to improve outcomes across future schemes.

Local environmental campaigner Vhari Russell, founder of Creating Nature’s Corridors, welcomed the initiative but expressed concerns about the timing of the planting. She said trees should ideally be planted earlier in the season to give them the best chance of survival.

Russell, who lives in Brampton, previously planted around 150 trees herself along the roadside to help reduce noise. She also highlighted efforts by volunteers who collected dozens of bags of discarded tree guards and litter left behind after earlier planting failures.

She said National Highways had assured her that remaining plastic guards would be cleared as part of the new planting work.