People living near a busy stretch of the M5 have been left furious after almost 100 trees along the motorway were chopped down - leaving neighbours exposed to 'unbearable' noise and pollution.

The trees - which sheltered the residents of Clay Drive in Quinton from the noise, light and pollution from the busy M5 - were removed by National Grid last week in what the company said was “essential safety work.”

But neighbours have been 'in tears' since being exposed to the full effects of the motorway - with one saying it had 'ruined her life'.

The group of conifer trees stood between the M5 motorway and homes in the area between Clay Drive and Village Mews, Quinton.

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Melanie Davies, of Clay Drive, Quinton, said she is "suffering" from the relentless noise and light from the M5
Melanie Davies, of Clay Drive, Quinton, said she is "suffering" from the relentless noise and light from the M5

One resident of Clay Drive, Melanie Davies, said the decision to cut down the trees had 'ruined' her life at the property.

“I’ve put so much time and effort into making this house a home, but I don’t enjoy my life here anymore.

“You can smell the motorway, it’s vile. It smells like I live in a gas station.

“The street lighting illuminates my house and creates a strobing effect in the kitchen.

“You can’t get away from it, it’s just relentless.”

The row of felled trees along Clay Drive and Village Mews, Quinton
The row of felled trees along Clay Drive and Village Mews, Quinton

Scientific research has shown that trees play an important role in combating noise and pollution in urban environments.

Speaking to the BBC, researchers at University College London (UCL) said conifer tree belts could be used as natural "silencers" to limit the impact of noise from traffic in towns and cities.

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Ms Davies said her mental health had suffered since the trees were chopped down - having spent nearly £50,000 renovating the property.

“There’s no getting away from it - in every corner of my property I can hear the motorway."

“My mental health has taken a nosedive. I just don't want to be at home anymore.”

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Another resident, Michael Lawrence, who has been living on nearby Chichester Drive for nearly 30 years, said that when the trees were standing, the noisy motorway was 'no problem whatsoever'.

“Now they’ve gone, the wildlife has gone too, pollution has increased and the view has been completely ruined.”

“We had no time whatsoever to have a dialogue with National Grid.”

The view from Ms Davies' back bedroom window
The view from Ms Davies' back bedroom window

Connell McHugh, who also lives on Chichester Drive, said the light pollution from passing vehicles and street lights was horrible.

“The trees would shield you from the excess dust, light and pollution,” he said.

“When you buy a house next to the motorway you accept there’s going to be noise, but the greenery made it feel that bit more homely and inviting.

The view from Ms Davies' back bedroom window before the trees were cut down
The view from Ms Davies' back bedroom window before the trees were cut down

The land behind the gardens of these properties is owned by National Highways.

The company gave National Grid permission to cut down the trees to protect nearby power lines.

A spokesperson for National Grid said: “This is for the safety of the residents in the area, due to the risk to motorway traffic on the M5 and nearby power lines.

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“Preparations started on 25 November with the main works from 29 November. We expect the work to take around three weeks and will not affect electricity supplies.

“The land the trees are on is owned by National Highways, and they have agreed to undertake a programme of replacement planting with more suitable species in order to continue to provide screening of the motorway.”

Councillor Dominic Stanford said he sympathised with the residents affected
Councillor Dominic Stanford said he sympathised with the residents affected

Cllr Dom Stanford (Quinton, Con) said he "massively sympathised" with the residents affected by the increase in noise and pollution.

"This has seemingly come out of nowhere, without an enormous amount of consultation, which is what I think has shocked and upset so many residents here," he said.

"The responses they've had from National Grid have been fairly abrupt and quite rude in nature which hasn't helped the situation."

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"I've taken their reports about light pollution and noise concerns on board and have contacted National Highways to urge them to take immediate steps to mitigate the effects of cutting down the trees."

Cllr Kate Booth (Quinton, Lab) has called on the agencies involved to solve the issue "quickly and effectively."

"The removal of these trees has caused much distress - the devastation is dramatic and the rise in noise as well as the visual impact is huge."

National Highways told Birmingham Live that they will be replacing the trees with cherry laurel, but did not indicate when this was set to take place.

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