Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, which wildlife protection projects relate to HS2 works; and what the cost is of each.

HS2 must meet regulatory and legal requirements to protect existing wildlife and is also committed to a target of ‘No Net Loss’ in biodiversity. HS2 Ltd therefore deploys an adaptive approach to wildlife protection and environmental mitigation. The design and construction of HS2 is required to meet legislative and regulatory requirements, and HS2 Ltd’s proposals for mitigation are subject to review, inspection and guidance from the regulators to ensure mitigations are in place to protect wildlife.

HS2 is an integrated scheme where routine wildlife protection costs are accounted for within the overall costs, except for a number of specific structures. It is therefore not feasible to immediately isolate a proportion of the costs for the mitigation required for wildlife protection, which is an ongoing responsibility as construction continues and circumstances on the ground continue to develop.

Once constructed, the new HS2 railway will result in over 33 km² of habitats being in place for species to use, a significant amount of which is directly provided as part of HS2’s commitment to wildlife protection.