One bad decision does not justify another

As stated previously, we cannot comment on why HS2 decided on a costly tunnel as mitigation for the impact on the rare bats of Sheephouse Wood in Buckinghamshire, since we were not involved in the process. However, we do know that multiple cross-party inquiries have found that HS2's delays and cost overruns stem from mismanagement, not nature protections. Had previous governments chosen to look at the evidence, by conducting a Strategic Environmental Assessment, the bat tunnel would most likely have been avoided. In so doing, a small but significant piece of our natural heritage would have been saved not just for the rare Bechstein's bat and other species, but for future generations of people to appreciate and enjoy. 

The current government appears to want to repeat the mistakes of its predecessors by avoiding the inconvenience of looking at evidence as it pushes for a weakening of wildlife protection that will not fix the perceived issues with the planning system. 

Beyond the destruction of irreplaceable habitats where wildlife thrives such as ancient woodlands, the Planning and Infrastructure Bill will create a licence to kill which should concern us all. We welcome the statement from the Animal Sentience Committee which highlights how this bill will impact all sentient animals.