The cancellation of HS2 in Cheshire will save threatened farmland birds, water voles and much-loved wild places. The price nature has paid in the south has been immense and there is relief that the destruction, like that done to Calvert Jubilee Nature Reserve in Buckinghamshire, will no longer reach this far north.   

HS2 has failed to keep up with current industry good practice on environmental issues, particularly regarding biodiversity. We’ve been to Parliament and back with our concerns but this has always been a damage limitation exercise. The way HS2 Ltd. addresses environmental issues needs to reflect the challenges of today now that the nature and climate crisis are better understood. 

Cheshire and Manchester need sustainable transport to tackle the climate crisis. We need to consider how projects can regenerate our cities, increase access to nature and connect our landscapes without causing irreversible environmental damage on a scale never seen before in this country.  

Green bridges (safe wildlife crossings), ambitious habitat restoration and better access to nature must be at the heart of any future projects. We need our political leaders to deliver projects that work for the climate, people and nature. 

Jo Darlington  
Acting CEO of Cheshire Wildlife Trust