Fears that nature reserve could be destroyed as HS2 ramps up its felling of trees near Leamington

127 trees have been marked up in the Offchurch Greenway
Many trees in the Offchurch Greenway have been marked up.Many trees in the Offchurch Greenway have been marked up.
Many trees in the Offchurch Greenway have been marked up.

Dozens of trees in a nature reserve could be destroyed as HS2 ramps up its felling of trees near Leamington.

127 trees have been marked up in the Offchurch Greenway - and other large oaks nearby will be knocked down to make way for the new high speed rail line.

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Last week, the Hunningham Oak, a well-known landmark that is about 300 year old, was felled - just to make way for a service road to help build the HS2 line nearby.

Kerry O'Grady said she was horrifed to see that many trees in the Offchurch Greenway.Kerry O'Grady said she was horrifed to see that many trees in the Offchurch Greenway.
Kerry O'Grady said she was horrifed to see that many trees in the Offchurch Greenway.

Many other trees between Leamington and Southam are set to be knocked down from October 1 onwards, in what Stop HS2 campaigners describe as 'National Tree Killing Day' - the day when HS2 officially restarts the felling of trees in the district.

Local resident Kerry O'Grady said she was horrifed to see that many trees in the Offchurch Greenway, a woodland that stretches from Welsh road to the Fosse Way, were marked for felling.

She added: "I already knew that the big oaks and ashes on the corner of the Welsh Road and Long Itchington road had been marked and this has been an awful shock.

"Local people are shocked and disbelieving.

Many trees in the Offchurch Greenway have been marked up.Many trees in the Offchurch Greenway have been marked up.
Many trees in the Offchurch Greenway have been marked up.
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"We knew HS2 would be bad but this wanton destruction of our countryside during a time of crisis of climate change, financial hardship and worry about Covid 19 is wrong on every count.

"The woodland, which is an old railway line in itself, is a magical place full of birds and insects. On my last walk I saw flocks of goldfinches, long tailed tits and lots of other birds flitting in and out of the woods.

"Bees, moths, late butterflies, wild flowers…I could go on. Every single tree of a certain size has been marked with the orange HS2 mark."

Between October 1 and 4, Stop HS2 campaigners will be holding of speeches, information and socially distanced activities in Leamington and Kenilworth town centres, to raise awareness of what they describe as 'National Tree Killing Day' - the day when HS2 officially restarts the felling of trees in the district to make way for the rail line.

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They will be in Leamington on October 1 and 3 and Kenilworth on October 2 and 4.

In response to the criticism of the tree felling, HS2’s landscape and ecology programme said it will create 'bigger, better and more joined up wildlife habitat including woodland, along with community spaces around the new railway for people to enjoy for years to come'.

A spokesperson for HS2 said: "Around 250,000 trees will be planted in the West Midlands and Warwickshire by HS2’s enabling works contractor LMJV (Laing O’Rourke and J. Murphy & Sons Ltd) and their team of ecologists and landscape architects, with 80,000 already planted.

"In addition, 40 ponds and many acres of wetland, heathland and meadow in the region have been created. New wildlife habitats in a variety of locations include new badger setts, bat houses, bird boxes, reptile banks and bug houses to help local wildlife populations thrive.

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"The new woodlands will be part of HS2’s ‘green corridor’ which will see up to seven million new trees and shrubs planted between London and the West Midlands, and which will support delicately balanced local ecosystems running through the spine of the country."

HS2 is hosting a webinar on Wednesday September 30 for people to find out more about the habitats that have already been created in the region, and to learn about future plans.

The spokesperson added: "Attendees will hear about examples in the local area such as Finham Brook near Kenilworth in Warwickshire where there are six new ponds for great crested newts to breed in, extensive grassland and new habitats for reptiles.

"New woodland has been planted, with 6,200 new trees featuring species native to Warwickshire and grown in the UK from tree seeds sourced to be climate resilient such as silver birch, hazel, hawthorn and holly. The site is already contributing to supporting local wildlife, ranging from birds to great crested newts and is having a valuable and positive impact to the environment."

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People can find out more about HS2’s webinar, ‘Ecology – habitats and wetlands in the West Midlands’, which will run from 12.30 to 1.30 on September 30 here: https://www.hs2.org.uk/events/hs2-in-focus-ecology-habitats-and-wetlands-in-the-west-midlands/

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