Areas to be affected include Mantles Wood, Buckinghamshire, where the Woodland Trust says 6.8 hectares of wooded countryside will be lost to clear the way for a tunnel portal Photo: ALAMY
The High Speed 2 rail project linking London to Birmingham will threaten more ancient woods than previously thought, with almost 50 at risk, campaigners have warned.
The most up-to-date maps for the project’s first phase show that the number destined to be lost or damaged stands at 49, according to the Woodland Trust, compared with an official estimate of 19.
The charity had previously claimed that 43 ancient woodlands – areas that have been wooded continuously since 1600 – were threatened by the project, but has increased the figure in light of updated plans published last month. The area thought to be at risk covers thousands of acres and is regarded by campaigners as vital habitat for dozens of animal species including birds, bats and butterflies.
