Councils launch bid to block high speed rail The councils also claim the Government has failed to consider the impact of the line on London's tube network. They say the decision was taken without considering the full environmental impact of the route which will not only run through an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty but also endanger a number of animal habitats including a colony of rare Bechstein's bats. According to papers submitted by the councils, the route will also be in breach of two EU wildlife and conservation directives. The Government has three weeks to reply to the councils" application, after which a judge will decide whether to allow the action to go ahead. "We are doing this with great reluctance but feel that the Government has left us with no alternative," said Martin Tett, the leader of Tory-controlled Buckinghamshire County Council. They effectively excluded over half those affected by the proposal from participating in the consultation and in practice ignored the views of over 50,000 people and businesses who did respond. Worse still it is clear that there is a much cheaper and more efficient alternative way to meet growth in demand. This would benefit far more towns and cities in the Midlands and north of England and avoid knocking down hundreds of houses outside Euston Station. A Department for Transport spokesman defended the scheme. "HS2 is a project that will deliver jobs and prosperity across the entire country," he said. Network Rail predict that the West Coast Main Line will be full by the mid 2020s, and have concluded that building a new line is the best option - with HS2 delivering four pounds of benefit for every additional pound spent compared to a new conventional-speed line. The line of route between London and the West Midlands has been continually improved to mitigate the impact on those living near it and the environment. We believe we have struck the right balance between the reasonable concerns of people living on or near the line, who will be offered a package of compensation measures, the environment and the need to keep Britain moving.