The building of the high-speed railway is said by environmental activists and experts to be leading towards irreversible destruction of ancient habitats and woodlands. Chris Packham said he was ‘deeply disappointed’ in the ruling, and had brought the appeal in an attempt to halt environmental devastation to the UK countryside. The two main grounds of the appeal were whether the cabinet was aware of all the relevant environmental information before giving the project the go ahead, and secondly that the project contradicts the UK’s commitment to the Paris Agreement and reduction to net emissions.
Whilst disappointed, supporters of the appeal hope that the position will be reconsidered despite the initial repeal being rejected.
