- Work has begun on the extension of Metro Line 11, which contemplates the conservation of only 5% of the trees in the affected area.
- Ecologists in Action denounces inconsistencies in the inventory of trees of the execution project.
- Massive logging will affect numerous parks in Madrid, such as Parque de Comillas, Parque de Arganzuela, Parque de Darwin or Jardines Jimena Quirós.
This November the works for the extension of Line 11 of the Madrid Metro began. The pharaonic project plans to link the Plaza Elíptica and Conde de Casal stations through an infrastructure of 7 km and an investment of 500 million euros. It will have two new stations, Comillas and Madrid Río, whose works seriously affect the Comillas and Arganzuela parks. Ecologistas en Acción has had access to the execution project and has detected important irregularities in the tree inventory and environmental analysis.
massive felling of trees
Of the 1,218 trees found in the area affected by the works, the project plans to speaks 855 y transplant 302so that only 61 trees, 5% of the total, will be preserved. These are adult specimens of up to 35 different species that include pinyon pine (Pine tree), shadow plane (Spanish plane tree), almez (Southern Celts) and mulberry (White mulberry). For each tree, a file has been prepared to assess the state of health of the specimen. Ecologists in Action has reviewed each one of the sheets included, concluding that lThe vast majority of trees are perfectly healthycataloged by the inventory itself as in good condition, and a few regular ones without diseases.
The felling of these specimens contradicts the document itself where it is stated that “felling and felling has only been considered in those cases in which the tree presented some type of injury or malformation, as well as pests or diseases, (…) specimens whose phytosanitary status has been defined as regular , bad or dead (specimen without appreciable life) or the inclination of the trunk is greater than 45º”.
The last statement does not justify felling either, since most have an inclination between 45º and 90º, usually upright. Ecologists in Action recalls that, in accordance with Law 8/2005, of December 26, for the protection and promotion of urban trees in the Community of Madrid in its Article 2: “The felling of all trees protected by this Law is prohibited When these trees are necessarily affected (…) by the construction of infrastructures (…) they will be transplanted.”
To find a justification for compliance with the law, one must go to another document, the Identification and assessment of impacts, which states that “considering the technical difficulty, the economic cost and the guarantees of survival that an adult arboreal specimen can show against to the transplant, it has been estimated as a threshold value to decide the transplant of healthy trees, a perimeter of the trunk equal to or less than 50 cm”.
Ecologistas en Acción considers that transplanting these specimens seriously endangers their survival, but defends that, due to this, transplanting, or failing that, felling, should only be considered an option when absolutely necessary. And it is not the case.
Comillas Park.
Destruction of the Comillas Park
Comillas Park is located on Antonio Leyva street, between Plaza Elíptica and Glorieta Marqués de Vadillo. The new station projected in the park occupies only a portion of it, and yet the extent of affectation to the trees has been considered for practically the entire park. This implies that only 11 trees are preservedaccording to the project plans. The reason behind this fact could be found in an access ramp for trucks and the occupation of the land by the TBM facilities, which will access the subsoil from this point.
Ecologists in Action is surprised that alternatives have not been studied for the location of these facilities that do not imply the absolute destruction of a natural heritage of high environmental value that also restricts the use of a fundamental public provision for the neighborhood during the long period of execution of the works. In addition, the document itself states that this will be done “maintaining a total of 10,000 m2 of green area for public use during the works.” It is incomprehensible, therefore, the need to proceed with the planned felling.
Multiple parks affected
The scope of felling is not limited to the Comillas Park. In addition to multiple fellings on public roads linked to the connection points for emergency exits, other parks such as the Darwin Park in the Moratalaz district, the Jimena Quirós Gardens in the Retiro district or the square located next to the to the Paseo de Santa María de la Cabeza between Baleares and Inmaculada Concepción streets. Especially alarming are the fellings in the Arganzuela Park planned as a result of the construction of the new Madrid Río station which, as in Parque de Comillas, go beyond the area close to the station works. Ecologists in Action demands that measures be studied to alleviate the impact of these works on urban trees, since the location of stockpiles and construction machinery is no excuse for the annihilation of all green infrastructure in these areas.
Arganzuela Park.
Ecologistas en Acción also warns that the correct protection of trees that are not felled is also a responsibility that should not be evaded, despite the fact that it is common in Madrid to see how official regulations are systematically violated, resulting in visible damage to trees existing and many times condemning the death of the copy.
This environmental attack adds to a recent wave of nonsense related to the management of public works in Madrid that are attacking trees and urban greenery and to which the public administration has accustomed us.
In conclusion, Ecologistas en Acción demands that, before it is too late, the Department of Transport and Infrastructure of the Community of Madrid correct the forecasts of the works project and order the company awarded the contract to carry out the works, the UTE ACCIONA -DRAGADOS-ROVER INFRA.SA, which plans the pertinent actions to guarantee the survival of the greatest possible number of trees.