Not such a batty idea

it's not only homeowners in the picturesque Chilterns campaigning for more tunnels to hide away high-speed trains.

The Bechstein’s bat population – or more specifically, supporters of the bats in Buckinghamshire – are also pressing for special measures to keep the trains at bay.

Ministers on a mission to take the country out of the ‘dark ages’ gave the go-ahead to the controversial £32bn scheme last week.

The decision caused consternation for residents up and down the 140-mile route, but it was the plight of the winged creatures – and the spin-off project to protect them – that really caught our eye.

Matt Dodds, training officer at the North Bucks Bat Group (NBBG), told e-Project about a novel plan to reduce the impact, quite literally, on vulnerable bat colonies trying to cross the tracks.

He said: “If it goes ahead we’d like to see tunnels covering the tracks where the line passes through the ancient woodlands of the Claydons to allow trains to travel through without huge impact to the surrounding environment.

“Losing just one bat could have dire consequences because they are so rare and isolated from other populations. They don’t like moving from forest to forest so wont recolonise from other areas. Without tunnels HS2 could lead to the local extinction of the Bechstein’s bat.”

Data gathered by the NBBG suggests that the ancient woodlands of the Claydons could be home to hundreds of bats – one of only a handful of locations for this species nationwide.

Matt and fellow bat supporters believe the government has an obligation to explore all solutions in an effort to protect the bats who have to fly over the intended route to get to their mating and hibernation sites.

Philippa Lyons, chief executive of the Berks, Bucks & Oxon Wildlife Trust, accused the government of “not facing up to its responsibilities” and pressed for urgent action to protect vulnerable wildlife habitats affected by the route.

The Trust continues to lobby MPs and the Department for Transport to raise awareness around the wildlife habitats that will be impacted by the route. 

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