We have just made public the Bat Report (commissioned from Bioscan), which makes it very clear that the previous environmental assessment of the Lane was inadequate, and so there was no serious attempt to mitigate the effects of construction on wildlife using the corridor of oaks to travel between the hilltops and the Misbourne valley. In fact, the initial proposals entailed gratuitous destruction of far more trees than has now proved necessary, and were only halted by legal action.
As set out in this Press Release, our report shows the need for far greater efforts at mitigation. Consequently, we have launched a campaign to create a green bridge at Leather Lane, by maintaining the roadway as single track, and planting vegetation on the unused carriageway. This would be a first step towards reconnecting the sections of the wildlife corridor, left as disconnected sections in the current design.
In the longer term, a strategy is required for the restoration of the lane and it’s surroundings, the preservation of the wildlife corridor and renewing biodiversity after the HS2 civil works are completed. Declaring the area and surroundings a Special Area of Conservation may be a first step in the right direction.