Rare bird could halt HS2
Feb
20 2013 by Carl Gavaghan, Uxbridge Gazette
The high-speed rail line will threaten the survival of
rare willow tits, conservationists warned last week.
Cheshire Wildlife Trust says the tiny species and other
woodland birds are in danger because their habitat is close to the proposed
route of the high-speed rail trains.
The £32billion line will pass ancient forests, wetlands
and patches of mosses, including some areas that are protected by law because
of their scientific value.
They include the Lightshaw Meadows nature reserve near Wigan , a haven for rare birds including willow tits. It
is feared bats, water voles, newts and other birds including the rare black
redstart, could also be at risk.
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| willow tit (Wikipedia) |
Charlotte Harris, director of conservation at Cheshire
Wildlife Trust, said: “It’s clear the government sees high-speed rail as the
best deal for the north-west economy, but it’s our job to ensure we get the
best deal for wildlife too.”
Up to 11 wildlife sites will be within a 100 metre
corridor of the line in the north
west
The trust says four sites of special scientific interest
are also close to the line, including Holcroft Moss, a wetland reserve near
Glazebrook, Warrington
It says the affected local wildlife sites include ancient
woodlands containing trees more than 400 years old.
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