High Speed 2 and Warwickshire's Wildlife - the facts so
far!
Warwickshire Wildlife Trust is significantly
concerned about the impacts that High Speed 2 (HS2) could have on
Warwickshire's biodiversity. On initial analysis, the Trust has
outlined 90 statutory or non-statutory wildlife sites that are
vulnerable to direct or indirect impacts of the proposed High Speed
2 route (Dec 2010).
These sites include nationally important
Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI), Local Nature Reserves
(LNR), Local Wildlife Sites (LWS), ancient woodlands and sites
which are outlined as potential Local Wildlife Sites (pLWS). Of
the 90 sites identified, 46 are located directly within the
route and so could be subject to habitat loss, degradation and
fragmentation or at worst complete loss.
Unfortunately, the Appraisal of
Sustainability has not taken into account the
impacts the route could have on the majority of these sites. No
data for local sites was obtained to inform the location of the
route and so the current predicted impact on biodiversity in
Warwickshire appears to be based on the data from only 4-5 sites
(approximately 6% of the sites identified by Warwickshire Wildlife
Trust). Furthermore, with the information available, only direct
impacts can be reasonably assessed on these 4-5 sites (all SSSI's)
and therefore indirect impacts as a result of required engineering
works could still result in these sites being adversely affected.
This is contrary to HS2 Ltd's commitment towards "protecting
Wildlife and Habitats through the design of HS2".
Find out how HS2 will impact of
statutory and non-statutory wildlife sites in your
constituency.
The impacts of HS2 on biodiversity are by
no means confined to statutory and non-statutory sites. There are
numerous habitats and species of biodiversity importance along the
proposed route, which, together with statutory and non statutory
sites, form part of a wider connected ecological network across the
landscape. HS2 could result in the fragmentation of this network
through the loss of connecting habitats and wildlife corridors,
having a profound effect on the movement of wildlife across the
landscape. However, despite the availability of data on these
species and habitats in Warwickshire, no such information appears
to have been used to inform the initial design stages of the
currently proposed HS2 route.
Warwickshire Wildlife Trust is also
concerned about the implications the route could have on our vision
of a Living Landscape. The route has been identified to impact upon
5 of our Living Landscape large area projects;
potentially compromising efforts to connect, restore and enhance
key sites, habitats and populations of species across the
landscape.
What is Warwickshire Wildlife Trust's position on
HS2?
Warwickshire Wildlife Trust believes that:
- A sustainable transport system must
take full account of its impacts on the natural environment. Any
development, regardless of its overarching objectives, cannot be
considered truly sustainable if it is achieved at the expense of
the natural environment
- The High Speed Rail Consultation document
significantly underestimates the impact of the proposed route on
the natural environment.
- The current approach to assessing the
least environmentally damaging route is seriously flawed, and that
the environmental case for the current proposals lacks clarity.
- The Appraisal of Sustainability seriously
underestimates the environmental mitigation and compensation costs
and opportunities
- Before pursuing either the currently
proposed route or the extending routes to the northwest and
northeast, the Government needs to complete a much fuller and more
in-depth analysis of the environmental impact of a new High Speed
railway.
Read the Wildlife
Trust's Position Statement here.
Warwickshire Wildlife Trust raises complaint
with European Commission over UK Government's decision on High
Speed Rail.
For the first time ever, Warwickshire
Wildlife Trust is today (Wednesday 28 March) writing to the
European Commission in support of a complaint which claims that the
UK Government chose the High Speed Rail (HS2) route without
taking proper account of its environmental impacts.
Read the
summary of the grounds
for EC complaint.
Warwickshire Wildlife Trust formal letter of complaint to EC.
What can you do?
Warwickshire Wildlife Trust urges everyone
who shares our concerns for wildlife to let the government know
about the serious underestimation of wildlife impacts along the
proposed HS2 route in Warwickshire. You can support us by:
Giving wildlife a voice in the HS2
public consultation.
HS2 Consultation has now closed.
Read Warwickshire Wildlife Trust's HS2 consultation
response.
Write to your Local MP
Inform them about the impacts on protected
sites within your constituency or let them know about your concerns
for wildlife along the route. Find your Local MP.