Hello all,
Sorry for the delay in any update over the past few weeks. It has been a very busy time and many people have been working with us to help the case progress.
Following the exciting detection of 6 species of bat including barbastelle, we have used some of the money raised in our crowdfunding to purchase an Anabat Expert recorder to record overnight data for a two week period and have also paid for professional ecologists and conservationists who have carried out dawn surveys. They are preparing their reports now as evidence that Leather Lane provides a major feeding site to foraging bats and connectivity between woodlands. Felling of trees in Jones Hill Wood and the surrounding area means that it is even more important to maintain Leather Lane, a mitigation for the loss of habitat and foraging and as connectivity to the woodland that remains. The particular area that most feeding activity has been identified is precisely where the over-road is planned to re-enter Leather Lane and where HS2 and EKFB have promised to review the re-routing of the road.
Leather Lane has also been identified as containing vital hedgerow habitats and ancient woodland by HS2 in their Environmental Statement;
“P. 106 Bat assemblage using mature hedges, trees and tree-lined lanes for foraging and commuting at Rocky lane, Bowood lane, Kings lane and Leather Lane. The hedgerows are the only connectivity between the large areas of woodland to the east and west of the land required. Noctule bats and soprano pipistrelle bats are species of principal importance. Commuting habitat/foraging
Despite to committing to using a precautionary approach to ecology, HS2 has continued to put costs and engineering first and has not fully explored all options for an alternative route, nor given reasons for refusing a route that would go on the Northern Side.
Consultation is taking place with local landowners, the Chiltern Conservation Board and local councillors to offer HS2 and its sub contractor EKFB viable alternative routes to consider for the over- road, thereby using Leather Lane as part of their mitigation plans.
But despite this, no measures have been taken to find an alternative route to avoid destruction on Leather Lane.
We are expecting EKFB to apply to Buckinghamshire Council any day now for permission to proceed with their current plan which would destroy most of the Oak Trees and Hedgerows that provide essential habitat and foraging, as well as a copse that compromises an entire Ecosystem with numerous trees and habitats where woodpeckers and tree creepers have been spotted as well as ancient woodland indicators such as Dogs Mercury.
THEREFORE… I CALL ON ALL 41,700 OF YOU to write to HS2, Jon Deas (EKFB), Kimberley Birtwistle (EKFB), Simon Matthew (EKFB) or other associates* and implore them to discuss the alternatives with Bucks Council and seriously reconsider the route for the over-road and make HS2 walk the walk not just talk the talk when it comes to the conservation of the environment!!
Please bombard these people with messages whilst we wait for a response from EKFB by the end of the month!!!
***PLEASE CHECK THE NEXT UPDATE FOR A TEMPLATE LETTER AND CONTACT INFO. FOR THE ABOVE!!!***
Together we CAN do this!!!
Please also keep donating to the crowdfunding page as all of the donations have already gone so far (as you can see!) ***DONATE HERE: https://gofund.me/8d6f44b0 *** OR IF YOU WOULD PREFER TO DONATE DIRECTLY, FIND MY PAYPAL HERE: https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/blaizeoc ***
Find here a link to Jim Ashton’s tweet explaining the importance of the hedgerows and ancient woodland on Leather Lane https://mobile.twitter.com/wildhorizons_/status/1367027941956345856
https://photos.app.goo.gl/YZC4n1vxfskdFSFo7 -here is a link to the recorded footage of bats on Leather Lane