Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps his Department is taking to protect ancient woodland along the route of High Speed 2.

HS2 Ltd has sought to design HS2 to avoid environmental impacts, including those on ancient woodlands, wherever reasonably practicable. Where this is not possible mitigation or compensation measures will be undertaken.

High Speed Two Information paper E2: Ecological Impact, outlines how ecological impacts have been assessed and how they will be mitigated or compensated for during construction of the proposed scheme. To compensate for the unavoidable loss of ancient woodland, the nominated undertaker will use best practice measures such as re-using the ancient woodland soils. Furthermore, we are extending the Chilterns Tunnel to avoid impacts on the ancient woodlands at Mantles Wood, Farthings Wood and Sibley’s Coppice.