Scrapping the northern phase has spared some sites, but woodlands and reserves remain under threat
James Fair
Hundreds of hectares of woodland and species-rich grasslands have been saved from the axe as a result of the decision to scrap the northern phase of the high-speed rail link HS2. Conservationists said 190ha of woodland, including nearly 15ha of ancient woodland, plus hundreds of ponds and thousands of individual hedgerows, had been threatened with destruction from Phases 2a and 2b.
But Phase 1 between London and Birmingham will still wreak significant environmental damage, according to The Wildlife Trusts, which called for “better and more effective mitigation to make amends for the magnitude” of the impacts.
“Over 104,000 people signed our letter to the government asking that HS2’s impacts on nature be properly scrutinised and that the scheme’s design be modified to limit the damage,” says director of policy and public affairs Joan Edwards.
A report published by The Wildlife Trusts in 2020, What’s the Damage?, set out in detail which important areas for nature were under threat from HS2. A total of 53 designated wildlife sites were identified as being within 500m of the scheme and at “potential risk of significant harm”.
With the northern leg no longer going ahead, 19 sites are now still at risk. No Special Areas of Conservation (SACs) – n
