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Jones Hill Wood: Legal action launched against Natural England after HS2 allowed to dig up land in ancient woods
Picture by Miles Walker Campaigners are launching legal action against Natural England for issuing a licence to HS2 allowing it to destroy land at an ancient woodland in the Chilterns AONB. Mark Keir on behalf of the Jones’ Hill Wood Earth Protectors has said the campaign group is set to launch a “landmark” legal case after HS2 was allowed to fell 0.7 hectares of land at Jones Hill Wood, near Wendover, as part of its construction works. The area is home to the barbastelle bat, which is at risk of extinction, as well as a number of other protected species, such as noctule, brown long-eared, Natterers, common and soprano pipistrelle bat roosts, as well as ancient ecosystems
HS2 have been accused of wildlife crimes after a dead shrew was discovered at one of their development sites by a concerned walker. Campaigners have slammed the company after one of the tiny protected mammals was discovered inside a HS2 pitfall trap that was designed to catch newts. The body of the shrew was discovered in one of the pitfall traps that has been installed at the Waddesdon Greenway. A resident, who was on her daily walk, found the pitfall traps full of rubbish and decided to keep returning each day to see if they had been cleared out. It was after several similar visits that she found the dead shrew.