Controversy Erupts Over £100 Million Bat Protection Structure for HS2

The costly initiative aims to protect the rare Bechstein's bat but faces criticism from local residents and environmentalists.

The £100 million structure, described as a 'bat shed,' is being constructed to protect Bechstein's bats from the HS2 railway line in Buckinghamshire.
Local residents express frustration over the project's cost and its impact on their community, questioning the necessity of such an expensive solution.
HS2 Ltd Chairman Sir Jon Thompson acknowledges the project's spiraling costs and the lack of evidence that the bats are at risk from the trains.
Natural England, claimed to have recommended the structure, denies involvement in the design or cost decisions for the bat protection project.
The initiative highlights broader debates over environmental protection versus infrastructure development, with some seeing the bat shed as a symbol of misplaced priorities.