Sir Jon Thompson told a rail industry conference that a bat protection structure is being built in Buckinghamshireto appease government adviser Natural England, as all bats are legally protected in the UK. “We call it a shed. This shed, you’re not going to believe this, cost more than £100m to protect the bats in this wood,” he said.
The saga is an example of the UK’s “genuine problem” with completing major infrastructure projects, the HS2 chief told the Rail Industry Association’s annual conference in London.
The curved structure will run for around 1km (0.6 miles) alongside Sheephouse Wood, creating a barrier that will allow bats to cross above the high-speed railway without being affected by passing trains.
Other more expensive options, including a bored tunnel and rerouting the railway away from the wood, were considered during the passage of the High Speed Two (London to West Midlands) Act through parliament.
Denne historien er fra November 08, 2024-utgaven av The Independent.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent ? Logg på
Denne historien er fra November 08, 2024-utgaven av The Independent.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
All Blacks offer benchmark for Irish great expectations
Victory for Ireland over New Zealand this evening won't wash away the pain of 14 October 2023.
Arteta's vision for Arsenal at a crossroads after Edu exit
Arsenal have become unaccustomed to being underdogs.
Centre stage for England's most in-form midfielder
After becoming a parent, after earning a place in the tabletopping team, after a stellar player-of-the-match performance in a high-profile game and after providing one of the Champions League highlights of the week, Curtis Jones has another milestone occasion in his sights: a first senior international cap for England.
United win ends year-long wait for success in Europe
For a club who have been champions of Europe three times, a win in continental competition really shouldn’t be such a rarity.
Hoorah for interest cut but we need another one soon
After a turbulent few weeks, the Bank of England yesterday delivered a soothing balm to Britain's hard-pressed borrowers with a quarter-point cut in interest rates.
Sainsbury's to raise prices due to Budget 'pressure'
Sainsbury's has said shoppers will face higher prices as a result of the surprise tax changes announced in last week's Budget, which will hit the retailer with an extra £140m in costs.
Keyboard warriors: a night at the Superbowl of esports
The O2 arena sold out in a Glastonbury-esque frenzy, with resale tickets going for up to 1,000 online. All this for the chance to watch people play a desktop game on a jumbo screen? Annabel Nugent went to see what the big deal is
NOBODY'S PERFECT
Eddie Redmayne has won rave reviews as an assassin in a TV adaptation of The Day of the Jackal’ but Geoffrey Macnab says it isn’t a patch on the 1973 movie starring Edward Fox
How a new generation is giving granny tights a leg up
Kayleigh Werner explores how Gen Z superstars like Sabrina Carpenter and Taylor Swift have reclaimed a hosiery staple most Brits associate with Nory sa and made it me
PREACHY CLEAN
Videos of CleanTok influencers making their homes shine have more than 150 billion views. Ellie Muir looks at whether their bizarre methods are setting unhealthily high standards