The Wildlife Trusts, which represents 46 local trusts that look after more than 2,300 nature reserves between them, claims there were “fundamental flaws” in the way that HS2 Ltd has assessed the value of nature.
Phase 1, which covers 140 miles of track between London and the West Midlands, will cause at least 7.9 times more nature loss than accounted for by the firm, the report claims.
Phase 2a of HS2 is also more damaging than calculated, with around 3.6 times more biodiversity loss than claimed.
HS2 Ltd has committed to no net biodiversity loss for replaceable habitats along Phase 1 and 2a of the route, as well as a net gain for biodiversity along Phase 2b.
Compensating for nature losses relies on accurate baseline assessments of the value of wildlife habitats along the route. For example, by looking to see how species-rich the grasslands are or how diverse woodlands are in terms of the mix of native tree species and complexity of woodland structure...