18 Daily Express Tuesday, July 30, 2019
DX1STBy John Ingham
Environment Editor
Chris Packham said HS2 represents the largest deforestation since the First
World War. Above, Siemens’ proposed design for a train to run on the linePackham: HS2 is biggest
threat to ancient forests
since the First World War
TELEVISION naturalist Chris
Packham yesterday declared war on
the High Speed 2 rail scheme,
branding it an “environmental
catastrophe”.
The route from London to
Manchester and Leeds and beyond
will devastate more than 100 wild-
life-rich ancient woodlands and
encourage air travel by providing
quick links to Heathrow, he said.
The estimated £100billion cost of
HS2 would be better spent on a
“clean, green and sustainable
future”, said the Springwatch star.
Branding the railway a white ele-
phant, he said: “I never thought I’d
say we should kill an elephant, but
this is one that should be blown out
of existence.”
The 250mph line is due to open
between London and Birmingham
by 2026, with the second phase to
Manchester and Leeds scheduled to
be running by 2033.
The route was originally expected
to cost about £56billion.
But earlier this month a leaked
letter from HS2’s chairman, Allan
Cook, said it could cost £30billion
extra.
New Prime Minister Boris
Johnson, who has expressed unease
about its price tag, last week said
the final bill would “probably be
north of £100billion”.
Mr Packham has made a short
film calling for the project to be
scrapped, and yesterday issued a
statement urging green groups “to
rise up”.
He said: “HS2 represents the larg-
est deforestation since World War I.
Its environmental impact will be
catastrophic.
“Over 100 ancient woodlands
will be destroyed or damaged. We
need to fight tooth and nail for
nature.
“We can rebuild Notre-Dame, but
it’s the cathedrals of nature we must
really protect... now... and that
includes our ancient woodlands.
“What’s even worse, is that rather
than reducing air travel, HS2 mayenable an enormous growth in air-
port expansion, the worst thing we
can do in the climate emergency
this very government has
announced.”
Mr Packham, who is a hate figure
for the hunting lobby because of his
strong conservation views, slammedhis fellow green groups or non-gov-
ernmental organisations.
He said they “have allowed HS
to get this far and I politely ask
them now to rise up and to hold this
Government to account over the
unfolding catastrophe that is HS2...
a catastrophe for our woodlands, acatastrophe for our climate, a catas-
trophe for endangered species, a
catastrophe for communities, a
catastrophe for tax payers as over
£100billion is wasted on the biggest
albino elephant we’ve ever seen”.COMMENT: PAGE 12Leaked
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