The Environmental Audit Committee has launched an inquiry on environmental protection in Phase-I of HS2.
The inquiry will specifically look at...
- The extent to which specific route-wide environmental impacts are adequately reflected and addressed in the Environmental Statement- specifically including: agriculture, forestry and soils; air quality; climate; ecology; and water resources and flood risk; and
- The overarching systems and processes which will guide how environmental considerations are taken into account in the detailed routing of the track.
- The arrangements for funding measures to protect biodiversity or to limit environmental impacts and any constraints on such funding.
- How and where biodiversity offsetting will operate, and any limits that will be put on such offsetting.
The Environmental Audit Committee's inquiry will not examine the overall economic case for HS2, nor decisions about the route or local environmental concerns about particular sections of the line (areas which the HS2 Hybrid Bill Committee will examine). The inquiry will exclude looking at Chilterns-specific matters; community and cultural heritage; landscape and visual aspect; noise/vibration; traffic and transport; and waste and material resources.
The NFU will be responding to the inquiry on behalf of members before the deadline of the 7th March 2014.
If you wish to submit an independent response, you can find further details here.