Submission #2

Comments13

1. Comment 1

   What really occupies my mind with these sorts of civil works is what gets swept away in the process.

   Miljö och naturvärdenCritical

2. Comment 2

   My wife spends all winter keeping the bird feeders full in the garden, and they rely on the greenery around here.

   Miljö och naturvärdenCritical

3. Comment 3

   Walking is a bit more frequent. We’re out most days on foot, my wife and I, taking some air. We often walk down towards the castle grounds or along the paths near the road.

   Gång- och cykelvägarNeutral

4. Comment 4

   I suppose any roadworks cause a bit of a nuisance with temporary diversions and delays, but as a retired engineer, I understand that's just the price of progress during construction.

   ByggtidenCritical

5. Comment 5

   If the improvements mean turning the road into a sterile, over-engineered corridor of tarmac and steel barriers, it would completely change the feel of the neighborhood.

   Miljö och naturvärdenCritical

6. Comment 6

   design around the mature trees rather than simply taking the bulldozer through the easiest path.

   Miljö och naturvärdenCritical

7. Comment 7

   carry out a proper survey of the existing trees and do everything possible to retain them.

   Miljö och naturvärdenCritical

8. Comment 8

   replanting with native Swedish species—rowan, hazel, birch, and thick shrubs.

   Miljö och naturvärdenPositive

9. Comment 9

   If I had to boil it down to what matters most, it really is preserving the character and life of the landscape.

   Miljö och naturvärdenCritical

10. Comment 10

    We want the road to function safely, of course—as an engineer, I certainly believe in sound infrastructure and safety—but it must not come at the expense of the living environment.

    Trafiksäkerhet och hastighetCritical

11. Comment 11

    If I had to boil it down to what matters most, it really is preserving the character and life of the landscape. For us, at this stage in our retirement, shaving two minutes off a drive to the shops or having an ultra-modern junction simply isn't worth stripping the soul out of the area.

    Miljö och naturvärdenCritical

12. Comment 12

    I hope the planners remember that a road isn't just a conduit for vehicles; it's part of the landscape people live in.

    Miljö och naturvärdenCritical

13. Comment 13

    Good engineering always works with nature rather than against it.

    Miljö och naturvärdenPositive

Questions to answer1

Questions the interview could not answer. The questions are answered in the consultation report.

1. Will the old trees along the road be felled for this?

   Show in the transcript

The full interview15

A verbatim transcript, in the order the turns were made.

1. Interviewer

   Hello. Thank you for sharing your views on Road 263 through Märsta – traffic safety and accessibility improvements. The conversation takes about ten minutes. I will ask about how you use the area and what matters to you. You can skip questions and finish whenever you like. Before anything is submitted, you will see a summary that you can change. To start, tell me a little: what is your connection to the area around the road? Do you live here, work here, or pass through on your way somewhere else?

2. Resident

   Well, hello there. Yes, I live just off it, actually—on Steninge allé. My wife is Swedish, you see, and when I retired from engineering back in the UK, we settled here. Lovely spot, really. Our garden backs right onto the open fields, so we feel quite connected to the landscape. To be completely honest, I don't mind the traffic too much myself. You hear it, of course—on a still summer evening the sound carries across the fields, but it's tolerable enough. What really occupies my mind with these sorts of civil works is what gets swept away in the process. Back in England, we lost so many magnificent hedgerows over the decades to road widening, centuries of habitat gone in an afternoon, and once they're gone, you simply can't put them back. My wife spends all winter keeping the bird feeders full in the garden, and they rely on the greenery around here. Which brings me to what I've been wondering—will the old trees along the road be felled for this?

3. Interviewer

   I don't know, but I will pass the question on to the project. How often do you and your wife walk or drive along the road during the week?

4. Resident

   That's very kind of you, thank you. I'd appreciate that being noted down. As for how often we use it, well, driving-wise, perhaps two or three times a week. Usually just popping into Märsta for the groceries, or heading out towards Sigtuna for an afternoon out. It’s quite manageable in the car, really. Walking is a bit more frequent. We’re out most days on foot, my wife and I, taking some air. We often walk down towards the castle grounds or along the paths near the road. You notice so much more on foot, of course. Back home, I used to love the old English country lanes with their hawthorn and blackthorn, and here you have these lovely mature stands of birch and pine. When we're walking, you see the yellowhammers and tits flitting between the garden edges and the road verge. So yes, we're along that stretch on foot nearly every day, weather permitting—though my wife always says there's no bad weather in Sweden, only bad clothing!

5. Interviewer

   You and your wife walk along the road almost every day and use the car a few times a week for groceries and trips to Sigtuna. How do you feel the road and the planned measures affect your daily routines and the area where you live?

6. Resident

   Well, in terms of daily routines, I suppose any roadworks cause a bit of a nuisance with temporary diversions and delays, but as a retired engineer, I understand that's just the price of progress during construction. We can work around that easily enough when we go for our shopping or head into Sigtuna. What really concerns me about the effect on our area is the broader environmental and aesthetic impact. When you live where we do, with the garden opening up to the fields, you become very attuned to the character of the place. It still feels green and somewhat gentle, despite the road being right there. If the improvements mean turning the road into a sterile, over-engineered corridor of tarmac and steel barriers, it would completely change the feel of the neighborhood. I saw it happen so often in Britain during the seventies and eighties—planners would widen a road for accessibility, and in doing so, they'd strip away the ancient hedgerows, widen the sightlines unnecessarily, and suddenly the whole landscape felt barren. It affects the local microclimate, and of course, the wildlife. The birds my wife feeds come back and forth across that green verge. So for us, the real effect wouldn't be the five minutes saved on a drive, but what we'd look at every single day from our garden and on our walks.

7. Interviewer

   You are worried that the improvements might change the character of the neighborhood and affect the local wildlife and greenery you enjoy. What suggestions or wishes do you have for how the project should handle the trees and greenery along the road?

8. Resident

   Well, from an engineering standpoint, my strongest recommendation would be to design around the mature trees rather than simply taking the bulldozer through the easiest path. It's often tempting on paper to clear a wide swath for sightlines or easy utility laying, but a sensitive design makes all the difference. In the UK, we eventually learned to establish strict root protection zones and curve paths or carriageways slightly to spare a fine oak or beech. So my primary wish is that they carry out a proper survey of the existing trees and do everything possible to retain them. If some scrub or lesser vegetation absolutely must be cleared, I’d want to see a commitment to replanting with native Swedish species—rowan, hazel, birch, and thick shrubs. Something that mimics the function of a good English hedgerow, providing berries, shelter, and nesting sites. That way, even if the road is modernized, the corridor still supports the bird population my wife cares so much about, and acts as a natural buffer between the traffic and the fields. A green border softens the whole look of the civil works, really. It benefits everyone.

9. Interviewer

   You have lived near Steninge allé for many years, you and your wife walk along the road almost daily, and you want the project to preserve mature trees and plant native species to protect the greenery and bird life. What matters most to you for these measures to work well for you and your wife?

10. Resident

    If I had to boil it down to what matters most, it really is preserving the character and life of the landscape. For us, at this stage in our retirement, shaving two minutes off a drive to the shops or having an ultra-modern junction simply isn't worth stripping the soul out of the area. We want the road to function safely, of course—as an engineer, I certainly believe in sound infrastructure and safety—but it must not come at the expense of the living environment. So what matters most is that when the dust settles and the works are finished, we can still look out over the garden towards the fields and see mature greenery, have the birds my wife feeds thriving around us, and feel that the rural charm hasn't been lost to sheer asphalt. It's that balance between sensible engineering and genuine respect for nature.

11. Interviewer

    You want the project to balance necessary safety improvements with respect for the natural environment so that the rural charm and greenery are preserved. Are there any other thoughts or comments you would like to add before we finish?

12. Resident

    No, I think you've captured my thoughts very well indeed. Just that I hope the planners remember that a road isn't just a conduit for vehicles; it's part of the landscape people live in. Good engineering always works with nature rather than against it. Thank you for taking the time to listen, and for passing on my question about the old trees. I do appreciate having the opportunity to speak up.

13. Interviewer

    You appreciate that the planners consider the road as part of the landscape and that your question about the old trees was noted. You can submit further comments until 15 September 2026, and the case reference is TRV 2026/99999.

14. Resident

    Splendid. I’ve made a note of the date and the reference number. Thank you very much for your time, and I wish you all the best with the consultation process. Have a pleasant rest of your day!

15. Interviewer

    Thank you. The next step is a summary of what you have shared, which you can review and change before anything is submitted. Your submitted comments become part of the consultation and will be addressed in the consultation report. Thank you for your time today.