People living along the proposed route of HS2 are being encouraged to respond to an appeal by a leading nature conservation charity.
Staffordshire Wildlife Trust has delivered leaflets to 57,000 households along a 73-mile area close to the proposed route, including in Stone, Walton and Swynnerton, detailing the impact the high speed rail link will have on local wildlife, and how they can help the Trust to minimise it.
Kate Dewey, planning and conservation officer at Staffordshire Wildlife Trust, said: “The Trust believe that the proposed route for HS2 will do irreparable damage to a number of Staffordshire’s precious wild spaces. We want people living close to the proposed route to know that we are on their side, and doing everything we can to save their threatened local green areas and wildlife habitats.
“People can help by becoming a member of the Trust, with funds going directly towards extra staff time and our continuing surveying work along the route.”
Staffordshire Wildlife Trust recently condemned plans for Phase 2 of the proposed route in the north of the county for ignoring local wildlife sites. Responding to the consultation on the second phase of the route, the Trust commented the design process by HS2 Ltd. has failed to consider all the species data that is available.
The proposed Phase 1 and Phase 2 routes will pass 73 miles through Lichfield, Stafford and Newcastle-under-Lyme boroughs, and could affect nearly 6,000 acres of land, an area over 1,000 acres larger than all Staffordshire Wildlife Trust’s nature reserves combined.
In total, 27 wildlife sites and will be directly affected as part of the HS2 plans, including one site which is considered to be of SSSI quality, and so nationally important for wildlife.
People can support Staffordshire Wildlife Trust’s work campaigning against HS2 by becoming a member online at www.staffs-wildlife.org.uk. For any more information, contact the Trust on 01889 880100.
