A Royston councillor has issued a rallying call to residents to speak out over the prospect of a high-speed rail link going through a local nature reserve.
Coun Tim Cheetham said villagers need to make their voices heard over the proposed route for HS2 — which will cut straight through Rabbit Ings Country Park.
A consultation period has now begun over the route linking Leeds to London and will run until January.
The high-speed trainline will also go through Carlton Marsh nature reserve, Birch Tree Farm in Cudworth and nearby Bleach Croft Farm.
Coun Cheetham said it is a ‘titanic’ waste of money and will ruin the multi-million pound work used to transform Rabbit Ings into a haven for wildlife only a few years ago.
“I think Rabbit Ings needs protecting with the nature of the investment we’ve got,” he said.
“It’s a nice facility there and a nice bit of recreational land and we would hate to lose that.”
Coun Cheetham said the line is of no economic benefit to Royston as no trains will stop there on the route.
He said the old Cudworth train line could be used instead to avoid Rabbit Ings, however this would cause further problems as the route continued to Leeds —running into Wintersett Reservoir and woodland.
High-speed rail will not arrive for another 20 years but Coun Cheetham said it is vital people do not forget about it. “Now is the time for people to put their input in,” he said.
