HS2 chiefs defend removing trees during early work in Crackley
Posted: Fri May 18, 2018 9:27 pmHS2 chiefs have been slammed after preliminary work began on the line – with trees cut down in Kenilworth at a wildlife haven during the bird nesting season
Businessman and transport museum chairman Joe Elliot MBE was surprised and angry to find trees had been felled and hedges destroyed in Crackley Gap to prepare for the controversial high speed rail line.
Mr Elliot said: “How they can wreck this area so heavily when they said they were just going to do the hedges. It has totally surprised us and they’re also doing it in nesting season after they said they would do it before.
“Network Rail and HS2 seem paranoid about cutting down trees yet this wood has been mutilated and they have done it so early during nesting season – that’s our gripe. They’re going to kill off birds.”
The nesting season runs from February to August and wildlife organisations recommend works such as tree and hedge cutting are done outside the season.
But HS2 claimed the trees were checked closely for nests before any work was carried out.
The London and Birmingham line will stretch for 190km – of which 54km will cut through the heart of the Coventry and Warwickshire region.
