Rail chiefs spend over £100 million on bat shed

Costly eco-project raises HS2 budget

Rail chiefs have had to spend more than £100 million of taxpayers' money to build a shed for bats, according to Sir Jon Thompson, chairman of HS2. The eco-project was cited as one of the reasons for the high-speed line being over budget. Despite no evidence that high-speed trains interfere with bats, the 1km long structure at Sheephouse Wood, Bucks, was built to appease green quango Natural England and act as a barrier between passing trains and bats.

Struggle for approvals

Sir Jon mentioned that other options, such as a new tunnel or rerouting the line, were considered before settling on the bat shed. He highlighted the challenges faced in obtaining permission from council chiefs, with a total of 8,276 consents needed from public bodies related to planning, transport, and the environment.

Red-tape strangling progress

Speaking at a rail industry conference in London, Sir Jon criticized the amount of bureaucracy hindering major infrastructure projects. He emphasized that factors like the bat shed were often overlooked when projects go over budget, stating that HS2's initial budget of £37.5 billion has now reached £66.6 billion.