Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what discussions (a) he and (b) his Department has had with the Secretary of State for Transport on protecting ancient woodland along the route of HS2.

The Government recognises that ancient woodlands are an irreplicable habitat that should be protected. In designing the railway, HS2 Ltd has sought to carefully avoid impacts on ancient woodlands wherever possible. Where effects on ancient woodland cannot be reasonably avoided then HS2 Ltd has committed to provide a range of compensation measures in response to these losses. As part of the compensation strategy, Government and HS2 Ltd. are planting more than 7 million new trees and shrubs, including over 40 native species, as part of Phase One of the HS2 programme.

On top of this, the Government has committed £7 million in establishing the HS2 Woodland Fund, helping landowners within 25 miles of the railway to create and restore woodland. The first £2 million of this fund has already been committed, which we expect will create around 198 hectares of new native woodland and help restore around 144 hectares of ancient woodland sites.

Additionally, the Forestry Commission (FC) has a service level agreement with HS2 under which FC provides expert and technical advice on the scheme’s impact on woodlands, including ancient woodlands. This includes contributing to scheme-wide documents such as HS2’s Environmental Statements (via both informal and formal consultation), technical specifications and site-specific documents such as on a selection of Ecology Site Management Plans (ESMPs) where ancient woodlands are affected.

Natural England (NE) also has a service level agreement with HS2, via which it provides technical advice on ecological and landscape impacts including ancient woodland. NE are consulted on the HS2 Environmental Statements and technical standards and on a selection of ESMPs for ancient woodland sites.