Clearances of ancient woodlands for HS2 must be paused until an independent review of the £88bn high-speed line is delivered, the government has said.
However, clearances deemed absolutely necessary to avoid major costs and impacts on the construction schedule can still go ahead, the department for transport said.
The Transport Secretary, Grant Shapps, told HS2 Ltd to review its programme to assess what woodland removal could be halted until after the Oakervee review, which is expected as early as next month. It is not clear how much woodland clearance is already under way. 
The Woodland Trust said HS2 was planning to start work on 11 sites this autumn, including eight small woods in Warwickshire and three in Staffordshire, of between 0.25-7.9 acres. The biggest two are near Kenilworth in Warwickshire, South Cubbington and Broadwells Woods, home to buzzards, woodpeckers, bluebells and fly agaric fungi, according to local online reviews.
Shapps said he recognised the concerns of local residents and campaigners that irreversible work could be undertaken in woodlands while the future of the project remained in doubt. The government has promised a “go-or-no-go” decision on HS2 by the end of the year. HS2 Ltd is continuing with other preparatory works.
Shapps said: “There is no sense in hiding the challenges HS2 faces, or masking the difficult decisions that need to be taken. So, as Douglas Oakervee’s review continues, we must take a sensible approach and recognise that some works simply cannot be undone later.
“Having listened to the concerns of affected residents and parliamentary colleagues, I have ordered HS2 Ltd to consider what works affecting ancient woodland clearances can be delayed for the duration of the review.” He added: “This ensures we avoid irreversible decisions without major impacts on cost and schedule. HS2 may be a complex project overall, but I think this request is just common sense.” 
Luci Ryan, an ecologist at the Woodland Trust, said: “This is a welcome step in the right direction for our ancient woodlands, but unfortunately these woods remain threatened as HS2 can still decide for themselves whether works continue or not. Until the outcome of the review all ancient woodlands should be off limits, full stop. Our welcome is therefore cautious.” 
According to the Woodland Trust, up to 108 areas of ancient woodland are likely to be affected should the entire HS2 route go ahead. While HS2 has said it will plant more trees and create four times more woodland than is taken for the railway, the charity says that England’s ancient woodlands constitute “highly complex ecological communities that have developed over centuries” and cannot be moved or replaced.