“It’s not needed”: HS2 manager exposes £100 million price for a railway line “bat shed.”

Photo creadit (Gettyimages)

The 1km structure, which was built to satisfy Natural England, is only one of the more than 8,000 approvals that HS2 had to obtain during phase one of the project, according to the chairman, which is proof of the UK’s “genuine problem” with carrying out such plans.

This is an undated HS2 handout depicting an artist’s depiction of the bat protection structure that would stretch for approximately one kilometer (0.6 miles) beside the wood, erecting a barrier that will enable bats to fly over the high-speed HS2 railway without being disturbed by the trains that pass by. The date of issue is Thursday, November 7, 2024.

Despite claims by the project company’s chairman that “no evidence that high-speed trains interfere with bats,” HS2 is investing over £100 million in a “shed” to safeguard bats along a stretch of the line.

Because bats are legally protected in the United Kingdom, Sir Jon Thompson stated that the curved structure at Sheephouse Wood in Buckinghamshire, which is 1 km (0.6 miles) long, will serve as a barrier to allow the creatures to fly over the railway without being disturbed by passing trains.

At Thursday’s Rail Industry Association annual conference in London, he revealed that HS2 is referring to the structure as “a shed” and that its construction is being done in order to satisfy Natural England, an advisory body to Whitehall.

This is an undated HS2 handout depicting an artist’s depiction of the bat protection structure that would stretch for approximately one kilometer (0.6 miles) beside the wood, erecting a barrier that will enable bats to fly over the high-speed HS2 railway without being disturbed by the trains that pass by. The date of issue is Thursday, November 7, 2024.

This is an undated HS2 handout depicting an artist’s depiction of the bat protection structure that would stretch for approximately one kilometer (0.6 miles) beside the wood, erecting a barrier that will enable bats to fly over the high-speed HS2 railway without being disturbed by the trains that pass by. The date of issue is Thursday, November 7, 2024.

The length of the structure is approximately 1 km (0.6 mi). Image credit: Pat
That the shed “cost more than £100m to protect the bats in this wood” was something Sir Jon forewarned his listeners would not believe.

The government-owned company had to obtain 8,276 consents from other public bodies related to planning, transport, and the environment to build phase one of the railway between the capital and Birmingham. He said this was an example of the UK’s “genuine problem” with completing major infrastructure projects.

He questioned whether the budget had taken bats into account and asked, “People say you’ve gone over the budget.”

“I’m being tough about it, but I’m trying to illustrate one example of the 8,276 of these consents.”

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While the High Speed Two (London to West Midlands) Act was being considered by parliament, he added, other, more expensive alternatives were considered, such as excavating a tunnel and rerouting the railway away from the forest.

Among the many bat species found at Sheephouse Wood is the most northerly known colony of the endangered Bechstein’s bat.
Among the many bat species found at Sheephouse Wood is the most northerly known colony of the endangered Bechstein’s bat.
Sir Jon added that the corporation wasted “hundreds of thousands of pounds” on attorneys and environmental experts even after Natural England gave their stamp of approval to the design, all because the local council still hadn’t given their stamp of approval.

“In the end, I won the planning permission by going above Buckinghamshire Council’s head,” according to him.

Phase one’s anticipated cost has increased to as high as £66.6bn, according to Sir Jon, who has been leading the project since Mark Thurston stepped down as chief executive in September 2023.