4-Mar-2026

26-6148 - HS2 Ltd and
PL/25/6639 Woodland Planting

Schedule 17 submission PL/25/6639 is the 'bringing into use' application for the line between Leather Lane and Jones Hill Wood. It contains detailed planting specifications for 12 areas of woodland, with lists and percentages of species, but no description of what the planting was aiming to achieve. This continues the lack of vision first noticed in 2024, when we first requested information about the aims of the restoration programme.

This EIR request was made to discover the thinking (if any) behind the proposed planting.

A response

And on the 20th working day, we received a response ! A nice covering letter, and answers to 4 out of 5 questions -

  1. The planting specification is "based on typical native species that naturally occur in the Chiltern Hills character area", which is good to know. WL01-WL11 was taken as a reference to two planting plots, rather than 11, but this probably doesn't affect the answer. Looks like they forgot the spell chequer.
  2. "what balance of species was taken to be representative of such a woodland ?" No specific woodland mentioned, but the planting list relates to Community Forum Areas (i.e. roughly where it is along the line), and the National Vegetation Class (NVC).
    The 'Detailed Design Principles' , produced by the AONB review group in 2017-18, were also taken into account. This was produced well before the extent of the devastation was apparent, and contains two pages regarding vegetation outside operational limits (section 3.12). It would appear that the restoration plans have not been revised since.
  3. "What motivates the variation in planting proposed for the different areas ? " The plant mixes respond to different locality ... but they are all within a mile or so of each other ?
  4. "When will the planting take place ? " Withheld under 12(5)(a) - Public Safety ! Someone might nick the trees... so much for site security.
  5. "Who will be responsible for maintaining the planted areas," First 5 years are covered, after that - who knows ?

Four out of five is a good result, by HS2 FoI standards. It appears that AONB restoration has not been reconsidered since the brief and obsolete review group exercise - or if it has, then the results have not been used to guide the planting. Section 3.12.9 says the contractor shall provide ..as a minimum -

"Landscape Supporting Statement including a landscape strategy; details as to how each of the above six Aims are to be met by the proposals; and any specific method statements for implementation"

One of these aims is to increase biodiversity, but there is no reference to this in the application - or any Landscape Strategy. Plenty of scope for a follow up request ?

 

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