HS2 bat tunnel is more to the fore of environmental protections then you might think.
The Planning and Infrastructure Bill (PIB) now before parliament which has been framed as the solution to an inefficient planning system supposedly held back by excessive environmental regulations, the HS2 bat tunnel included.
But is the real story different? Exactly so said Craig Bennett head of the Wildlife Trusts speaking on the Today programme on 9 April when he explained that the tunnel was not forced by conservationists or wildlife laws – it was a consequence of poor decisions made by HS2 Ltd and approved by parliament.
Politicians are misrepresenting this history to weaken the Planning and Infrastructure Bill (PIB), a law that won’t fix planning delays but will put nature at greater risk. It’s reported that the HS2 bat tunnel, was referenced at least ten times during PIB’s second reading. You can read the full story ‘Throwing bats under the train: HS2’s bat tunnel and the dangerous spin behind deregulation’ here.
As for the need to build 1.5 million homes by 2030 which is constantly invoked by the government, and we do need more homes, urgently, Craig Bennett reminded listeners that developers were sitting on top of planning consents for 1.4 million homes and called on them to get a move on! Details here.
Meanwhile The Guardian reports that the heads of 32 UK nature organisations have written to the government stating that its Planning and Infrastructure Bill “throws environmental protection to the wind”. In its ‘State of Nature Report‘ 2023 it was reported that the UK is now one of the most nature-depleted countries on Earth. It pointed out that changes in the way we manage our land for farming, and climate change were the biggest causes of wildlife decline on our land, rivers and lakes.