Over 30,000 sign petition against HS2 oak tree removals in Bucks
Around 50 trees look set for felling on Leather Lane, off the A413
Last updated 17th Mar 2021
Around 50 old oak trees could come down as part of HS2 construction near Great Missenden and over 33,000 people are NOT impressed.
They have signed a petition**** against the move on Leather Lane.
They are arguing construction traffic have their haul road anyway, near the village.
The Chiltern Society have asked people to back the call to save the trees.
READ MORE: Buckinghamshire Council refuse HS2 lorry road application over traffic fears
The woman who started the petition, Blaize O'Callaghan, said:
"The residents on Potter Row (the road adjacent to Leather Lane) have just been told that a number of these oaks are to be removed to accommodate a haul road and temporary construction compound.
"It is an absolute disgrace to destroy these ancient oaks to make way for a “temporary” compound."
Works for the railway have been ramping up in recent months, with work visible around Aylesbury, Wendover and Great Missenden.
You can read more of our coverage of HS2 here.
An HS2 spokesperson said:
"We always aim to minimise our impact on the community and environment as we build Britain's new low-carbon railway.
"In this location, we need to permanently realign Leather Lane and build a new access road, which will reduce the number of lorries on local roads.
"We have designed our works to reduce the loss of trees, and we will be planting trees in the area to integrate the new road and railway into the surrounding landscape.
"The construction of HS2 is playing a vital role in Britain's economic recovery from Covid-19, with over 15,000 people already working on the project and tens of thousands of additional jobs supported through our supply chain.
"By providing a cleaner, greener way to travel, HS2 will help cut the number of cars and lorries on our roads, cut demand for domestic flights, and help the country's push to reduce carbon emissions."