Wildlife Trust concerns over HS2 plans

The trust has scrutinised the Environmental Statement put forward in relation to plans for the high speed rail link and raised a number of concerns.

Bosses at the wildlife trust are questioning how adequate the statement is for decision making, stating vital surveys have yet to be completed, and highlighting a number of unnecessary impacts that could be avoided with simple design changes.

Around 50 local wildlife sites will be affected by the proposed route – with 30 suffering direct losses if the plans are given the green light, while 10 ancient woodlands will be directly affected, nearly 30 veteran trees could be lost, and several hundred kilometres of hedgerows will have to be removed.

Kate Dewey, Planning Officer for Staffordshire Wildlife Trust, said: "Staffordshire Wildlife Trust believes that the proposed route for HS2 will do irreparable damage to a number of Staffordshire's precious wild places and habitats that support threatened wildlife.

"HS2 is one of the biggest infrastructure programmes in our lifetime and the impact on wildlife will be felt for years. We are the leading environmental charity in the county fighting against the route of HS2.

“We are concerned that a lot more needs to be done to avoid impacts and improve mitigation.

“A lot of important species will be affected as a result of HS2 – including regionally important bat populations, water voles, great crested newts, farmland and wetland bird populations as well as rare plants such as black poplar, bog pimpernel and small bugloss.

“We are due to be meeting with HS2 later this month, along with ecologists from local councils, to discuss in details our concerns and how the plans can be improved.”

The Midlands is set for a decade of disruption with thousands of construction lorries clogging the region's roads to build HS2.

One stretch of road in Staffordshire will see the number of HGVs an hour increase by nearly 1,000 per cent.

Meanwhile more than a dozen lanes will be closed for years, bus routes diverted, and footpaths shut or moved.

Construction could get under way on the bulk of the line through Staffordshire in 2020 but some will start next year around Birmingham and Lichfield.

Work in the region is expected to last until 2027.