RAIL chiefs had to fork out more than £100million of taxpayers’ cash to build a shed for bats.
Sir Jon Thompson, chairman of HS2, said the eco-project was one reason that the high speed line was over budget.
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He told a rail industry conference yesterday the building, which is 1km long, had to be put up to appease green quango Natural England despite “no evidence that high-speed trains interfere with bats”.
The structure, at Sheephouse Wood, Bucks, forms a barrier between passing trains and bats.
Sir John said: “This shed, you’re not going to believe this, cost more than £100million to protect the bats in this wood.”
Other options had included a new tunnel or re-routing the line.
Sir Jon also said the battle to get permission from council chiefs was one of 8,276 consents needed from public bodies relating to planning, transport and the environment.
At the London conference Sir Jon blasted the “genuine problem” of red-tape strangling progress on major infrastructure projects.
He said: “People say you’ve gone over the budget, but did people think about the bats?
“I’m being trite about it but I’m trying to illustrate one example of the 8,276 of these.”
HS2’s initial budget of £37.5billion has ballooned to £66.6billion.
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