Leader of Buckinghamshire Council Martin Tett has taken to social media to make his feelings known about the danger to one of Buckinghamshire’s prettiest nature reserves. Posting on Twitter he said “Absolutely dreadful. Have visited this beautiful Reserve many times. This is a crime against nature”
Calvert Jubilee is one of the jewels in the crown of Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire nature reserves – a peaceful lakeside sprinkled with wild flowers and a quiet haven for wildlife and people, home to bittern, breeding tern, and some of our rarest butterflies.
For years the trust have been battling against the Government’s plans for HS2 and the destructive impact the project will have on our wildlife and countryside.
The Trust’s Chief Executive Estelle Bailey said “It is with great sadness that we have to report that on Tuesday 28 July HS2 will take legal possession of a large part of our Calvert Jubilee nature reserve and begin clearance works. They will destroy an area of the eastern side of the reserve to make space for the railway”.
Initially HS2 will be clearing vegetation to erect fencing across part of the reserve. This will only be the first step towards razing part of the reserve to the ground.
Over the last 50 years, the reserve has become a haven for large numbers of overwintering waterfowl and waders. Birds like Blackcap nest in the trees and scrub, and the reeds in the shallower parts of the lake play host to the magnificent Bittern. The site is renowned as a home to all five species of UK Hairstreak butterfly.
This fabulous matrix of habitats is a direct result of the hard work and passion of the people who have made Calvert Jubilee a real gem for wildlife. Sadly, all this might be lost thanks to HS2.
Mark Vallance, Reserves Manager (Bucks) said “I grew up a few miles from Calvert Jubilee – my visits there as a young boy set me on the path to my career today. The areas that will be destroyed by HS2 have given me some amazing wildlife experiences over the years, including the incredible sight and sound of the elusive and rare nightingale”.
“I am heartbroken to know that in the coming weeks and months HS2’s chainsaws and diggers will finally roll onto one of our most diverse and beautiful nature reserves, destroying habitats that have been looked after by dedicated people for more than 40 years.”
