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View offers Hi {{fullName}} * My Independent Premium * Account details * Help centre * Logout (BUTTON) News > UK > Home News Close Destruction from HS2 ‘far worse’ than previously thought as hundreds of homes set for demolition High speed rail line will see nearly 2,000 buildings demolished and ‘irreplaceable’ woodlands felled * Josh Gabbatiss Science Correspondent @josh_gabbatiss * Saturday 13 October 2018 10:41 {{^moreThanTen}} * {{total}} comments {{/moreThanTen}} * Almost 900 homes, 1,000 businesses and around 60 “irreplaceable” ancient woodlands will be destroyed by the construction of the HS2 railway, according to the company behind the project. The scale of damage was described as “far worse” than expected by campaigners, who accused those behind the project of opting for a more damaging route to keep costs down. HS2 will provide a high-speed link between London and Birmingham, Leeds and Manchester, but it has faced criticism due to its cost and environmental harm. Download the new Indpendent Premium app Sharing the full story, not just the headlines (BUTTON) Download now Read more * HS2 ‘will be most expensive railway on Earth at £403m a mile’ The company behind the line, government-owned HS2 Ltd, has released a summary of its predicted impact, including effects on livelihoods and health. Among the figures listed was a projected 1,740 buildings demolished by the end of the project, including 888 homes, 985 businesses and 27 community facilities. The line, currently set for completion in 2033, will also cut through at least 61 areas of woodland, many of which are centuries old and home to rare species of birds and bats. In its assessment, which was based on “reasonable worst-case assumptions”, HS2 Ltd estimated that 19,590 jobs would have to be relocated, with 2,380 lost permanently. They noted that 2,340 permanent jobs would be created by the development. Created with Sketch. British mammals’ fight for survival Show all 11 Created with Sketch. Created with Sketch. (BUTTON) Created with Sketch. British mammals’ fight for survival 1/11 The Mammal Society’s assessment of Britain’s mammal populations is the first such review in over 20 years. The results reveal winners and losers, and highlight some of the key threat’s facing the country’s wildlife such as habitat loss, invasive species and the spread of diseases. 2/11 Hedgehogs Populations of the much-loved insectivore may have declined by as much as 73% Richard Bowler 3/11 Greater mouse-eared bats Only one of these flying mammals has been recorded in the whole country, in a railway tunnel in West Sussex Andrew Harrington 4/11 Rabbits Despite being a common sight across the countryside, rabbits have decreased in number by nearly 10% Danni Thompson 5/11 Black Rats Though not generally considered threatened animals, black rats number have collapsed in recent years due largely to pest control measures. However their far more common cousins, the brown rats, are thriving. Tim Melling 6/11 Red Squirrels Though it is difficult to measure changes in squirrel numbers, their range has shrunk considerably due largely to the spread of squirrel pox virus by invasive grey squirrel Alistair Marsh 7/11 Wildcats There has been a marked decline in wildcat populations, with only around 200 left in Scotland Rachel Profit 8/11 Badgers Due to legal protections badgers have recovered from past persecution and the density of their setts (holes) has increased by over 100% in recent decades Phil Mumby 9/11 Otters The banning of persistent organic pesticides has had a positive population effect on otters Allan Chard 10/11 Fallow Deer The 2018 review estimates a population size of fallow deer almost three times the size of that estimated in the 1995 review – a positive trend that is seen in other deer species. James Shooter 11/11 Eurasian Beavers These aquatic mammals were nearly extinct in Europe at the start of the 20th century, but their reintroduction to the UK have been largely successful Paul Scott 1/11 The Mammal Society’s assessment of Britain’s mammal populations is the first such review in over 20 years. The results reveal winners and losers, and highlight some of the key threat’s facing the country’s wildlife such as habitat loss, invasive species and the spread of diseases. 2/11 Hedgehogs Populations of the much-loved insectivore may have declined by as much as 73% Richard Bowler 3/11 Greater mouse-eared bats Only one of these flying mammals has been recorded in the whole country, in a railway tunnel in West Sussex Andrew Harrington 4/11 Rabbits Despite being a common sight across the countryside, rabbits have decreased in number by nearly 10% Danni Thompson 5/11 Black Rats Though not generally considered threatened animals, black rats number have collapsed in recent years due largely to pest control measures. However their far more common cousins, the brown rats, are thriving. Tim Melling 6/11 Red Squirrels Though it is difficult to measure changes in squirrel numbers, their range has shrunk considerably due largely to the spread of squirrel pox virus by invasive grey squirrel Alistair Marsh 7/11 Wildcats There has been a marked decline in wildcat populations, with only around 200 left in Scotland Rachel Profit 8/11 Badgers Due to legal protections badgers have recovered from past persecution and the density of their setts (holes) has increased by over 100% in recent decades Phil Mumby 9/11 Otters The banning of persistent organic pesticides has had a positive population effect on otters Allan Chard 10/11 Fallow Deer The 2018 review estimates a population size of fallow deer almost three times the size of that estimated in the 1995 review – a positive trend that is seen in other deer species. James Shooter 11/11 Eurasian Beavers These aquatic mammals were nearly extinct in Europe at the start of the 20th century, but their reintroduction to the UK have been largely successful Paul Scott “In the context of the economies of the North West, Yorkshire and the Humber, West Midlands and East Midlands, which provide over 10.5 million jobs, the potential level of job loss is a relatively small proportion of total employment,” the report concluded. As a result of this disruption, the company lists “adverse” health effects including anxiety and stress resulting from “uncertainty and lack of control”. Additional environmental impacts noted by the company include the creation of 58 million tonnes of landfill – four times the total waste sent to landfill in the whole country annually – and the diversion of nine rivers. Independent news email Only the best news in your inbox ____________________ Enter your email address (BUTTON) Continue (BUTTON) Continue Please enter an email address Email address is invalid Fill out this field Email address is invalid Email already exists. Log in to update your newsletter preferences Register with your social account or click here to log in receiveIndyHeadlines [ ] I would like to receive morning headlines Monday - Friday plus breaking news alerts by email Update newsletter preferences Read more * Forest size of Yorkshire ‘must be planted to meet climate targets’ Woodland Trust ecologist Luci Ryan said the destruction of 16.7 hectares of ancient woodland would be “catastrophic for the environment”. “We were braced for bad news but this is far worse than we were expecting. At least 19 ancient woods will be lost, almost double our estimate,” she said. “HS2 is continuing to ride roughshod over precious, irreplaceable centuries-old ancient woodland and in doing so the homes and populations of many wildlife species will be destroyed too. “No amount of tree planting can ever make up for the loss of this precious habitat.” Ms Ryan noted threatened species ranging from hedgehogs to lesser-spotted woodpeckers would be harmed by the creation of the rail link. Read more * The HS2 pay row shows why rail privatisation isn’t working * HS2 requires extra £43bn ‘for people to make the most of it’ * Carillion’s collapse threatens HS2 and other major transport projects “We are going to need some time to digest the full horror of the draft environmental statement but rest assured we will stand up and fight,” she said. Joe Rukin, campaign manager for the pressure group Stop HS2, said the new report was evidence they “don’t care about people, jobs or the environment, they only care about getting the costs down”. “With costs everywhere else along the HS2 route spiralling out of control, it is absolutely clear HS2 Ltd has gone for the most destructive, least cost option,” he said. Responsing to critics, an HS2 Ltd spokesperson said: “We’re designing a railway that will reshape the economic geography of the whole country, as well as transforming the way we choose to travel for work and leisure.” “Local authorities and businesses are putting plans in place in the Midlands and the North that will see hundreds of thousands of jobs created. “Through the public consultations, we are providing a more detailed account of how we propose to build the railway and minimise its impacts during construction and operation. We actively encourage people to have their say on the plans we have published.” A consultation on the environmental statement is now open to the public until the end of December. 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