Plans to construct a cycle lane on Woolwich Common in southeast London could result in the removal of over 50 trees.

The stretch of road, measuring 0.62 miles (1 km), is owned and maintained by the Lewisham and Greenwich NHS Trust, linking Woolwich Common to the east with Queen Elizabeth Hospital to the west.

The trust aims to reconstruct the road and upgrade it to meet adoptable highway standards, enabling the Highway Authority to take it over as public infrastructure.

Numerous residents and local organizations have raised concerns about the project, particularly regarding the potential loss of trees. In response, the NHS Trust has suggested planting 76 new trees to offset the environmental impact. Greenwich Council is set to make a decision on the proposed developments this Tuesday.

The changes to the carriageways on Stadium Road and Baker Road could convert a section up to 8.2 feet (2.5 meters) wide of Woolwich Common into a seamless pathway and cycleway, replacing the current path and grassy area along the eastern side.

This expansion of the road may lead to the removal of around 46 trees, alongside seven additional trees that are deemed to be in “extremely poor condition” and must be removed anyway.

Plans include several crossing facilities along the roadway, with the trust expressing hope that the upgraded carriageway will provide improved and safer cycling and pedestrian amenities in the area.

The proposals have attracted 539 objections from local residents, along with disapproval from the 250-member cycling advocacy group Greenwich Cyclists, Friends of Woolwich Common, and The Charlton Society.

Greenwich Cyclists stated, “We believe that there are opportunities to enhance facilities for pedestrians and cyclists during the reconstruction of Baker Road and Stadium Road, while minimizing the removal of mature, healthy trees. We advise that the applicant should actively collaborate with the community to consider alternative design options.”

The NHS trust noted that new trees would be planted “as near to the sites of loss as feasible.”

However, critics have contended that newly planted trees typically take many years to match the carbon reduction benefits of mature trees. Moreover, felling mature trees releases the carbon they have sequestered over their lifetimes.

Last month, a meeting was convened involving the Friends of Woolwich Common, Greenwich Cyclists, the NHS trust, and officers from the Planning and Highways departments of Greenwich Council.

Documents from the council indicated that no agreement was reached among the participants, and both Greenwich Cyclists and Friends of Woolwich Common have upheld their objections to the removal of any trees, according to local democracy reporting services.