Ten ancient woods to be lost because of HS2 Staffordshire stretch

The Woodland Trust says there will also be damage to four other ancient woods on the line between Lichfield and Crewe.

In total, 27 ancient or veteran trees will also be lost.

Woodland Trust ecologist Luci Ryan, said: “Ancient woods are irreplaceable, evolving over centuries, yet here we are again facing their destruction to save a few minutes on a train journey. Sustainable, green transport should be welcomed, yet this route announcement confirms the likely damage to at least 94 ancient woods - and is only cause for a wake.”

This comes on top of the 63 woodlands that will be impacted by the first phase of the rail project between London and Birmingham, including parts of Staffordshire south of Lichfield.

At least another 17 woods along the proposed northern routes will also be hit.

It now brings the potential total of woods suffering direct loss or damage to 94.

This comes just six months after the Government’s response to the House of Lords High Speed Rail Select Committee report detailed how it will no longer include ancient woodland in its biodiversity offsetting calculations – essentially admitting that HS2 Ltd could never have ensured no net loss of biodiversity, when irreplaceable ancient woodland was being destroyed.