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Thousands of trees die as HS2 bosses say replacing them more 'cost-effective' than watering

Thousands of trees planted to mitigate the environmental impact of the High Speed Rail (HS2) route have reportedly died following the 2018 summer drought.

More than 80 per cent of the saplings planted on their land had been killed by the dry conditions, farmers in Warwickshire told the BBC. On one farm alone, the broadcaster was told that an estimated 6,500 of 8,000 trees had perished.

“There are around 800 trees planted on my land, and if 5 per cent of those trees are alive I’d be quite surprised,” a second farmer, Derek Hyatt, told the broadcaster.

HS2 bosses said it was cheaper to replace the trees than to water them and keep them alive.

Leaders of the £56bn rail project have promised to plant 7 million trees along the route, with some 350,000 already in place.

The high-speed link between London and Birmingham, Leeds and Manchester is predicted to cut through at least 61 areas of woodland once it is completed in 2033.

The Woodland Trust (WT) said last October that the expected destruction of 16.7 hectares of ancient woodland would be “catastrophic for the environment”.

“HS2 is continuing to ride roughshod over precious, irreplaceable, centuries-old ancient woodland and in doing so the homes and populations of many wildlife species will be destroyed too,” WT ecologist Luci Ryan said at the time. “No amount of tree planting can ever make up for the loss of this precious habitat.”

The Independent has contacted the government-owned HS2 company for comment, and to ask how many of the trees are already dead.

“Replacing these plants is more cost-effective than transporting significant water quantities in the area, as well as a more ethical use of resources during unseasonable hot weather,” a spokesman previously told the BBC.