BBC Wildlife - UK (2020-04)

LONDON

BIRMINGHAM

MANCHESTER

WIGAN

CREWE

LEEDS

PHASE 1

PHASE 2A

PHASE 2B

On track: for

betterorworse?

WHITMOREWOOD

Staordshire(Phase2a)

HalfofWhitmoreWoodwillbelost.

Thisisthebiggestsinglelossof

ancientwoodlandontheentire

route.Anappealbylocalsforan

extensiontothetunnel(thatensures

HS2avoidslargehomesonnearby

WhitmoreHeath)wasunsuccessful.

Theprivately-ownedwoodfeatures

veteranoaksandishometofallow

deer.Muchofit iscurrentlya newer

plantation,buttheownerhadhoped

toremovenon-nativetreesand

restoredeciduouswoodland.

FINHAMBROOK

Warwickshire(Phase1)

HabitatscreatedbyHS2atFinham

Brookincludesixnewpondssuitable

forgreatcrestednewts,reptile

hibernacula,grasslandandwoodland

comprisingmorethan6,200silver

birch,hazel,hawthornandhollytrees.

SOUTHCUBBINGTON

WOODS

Warwickshire(Phase1)

HS2willcutrightthroughthisancient

woodland,damagingbluebells,

woodanemonesandbadgersetts.

Soilwillbetranslocatedtospeedup

thecreationofnewcompensatory

woodlandnearby,andcoppicestools

(treestemscuttogroundlevel)willbe

dugupandmoved.TheCubbington

Pear,oneoftheoldestpeartreesin

EnglandandwinnerofTreeoftheYear

2015,standsattheedgeofthewood.

It istoohollowtobemoved,andwill

bedestroyedduringconstruction.

NORWOOD

Sheeld(Phase2b)

Anattractivewoodontheedge

ofSheeld,NorWoodandits

surroundingmeadowsarehometo

buzzards,tawnyowls,barnowls,

deer,foxesandbadgers.Crossbills

andlong-earedowlshavealsobeen

spottedhere.HS2threatens4.1haof

Nor’sancientwoodland,thelargest

lossofthishabitatinPhase2b.18ha

ofthelargersurroundinglocalwildlife

sitewillalsobedestroyed.

FINEMEREWOODSSSI

& CALVERTJUBILEE

Buckinghamshire(Phase1)

TheedgeoftheCalvertJubileeNature

Reserve– animportantsiteforbats

andbrownandblackhairstreak

butterflies– hasalreadybeen

destroyed.Ontheplusside,75,000

treeshavebeenplantedinthewider

landscapetolinkfragmentsofthe

historicalhuntingforestofBernwood,

includingSheephouseandFinemere

Woods.Newhedgerowsanda green

bridgewillprovideconnectivityfor

Bechstein’sandotherbatspecies.

WATERHAIGH

WOODLANDPARK

Leeds(Phase2b)

Anestimated 70 percentofthis

97hamixofwoodland,wetland

andmeadow– hometootters,

skylarksandmarshharriers– will

bedestroyedbyHS2.Managersof

YorkshireWildlifeTrusthaverecreated

a wildflowermeadow,butexpansion

planshavebeenhaltedbecauseofthe

risksposedbytherailline.

Where wildlife will be most

impacted by HS2, and where it

may benefit from habitat creation.