Hopes East West Rail will accept Cambridgeshire land's new status
Dr Lucy Wilson, a Wildlife Trust conservation officer, said Westfield was made a CWS because of its arable plants - wildflowers that grow on land usually used for crops.She said they were "one of our most threatened groups of plants due to modern, efficient farming practices".
Westfield is owned by the Countryside Regeneration Trust (CRT).CRT conservation officer Dr Vince Lea said he hoped EWR would take note of the new status.Dr Lea said: "Their surveys have overlooked the ecological value of these arable fields, a clear flaw in their approach."
Tim Scott, who farms Lark Rise, said: "I hope that EWR will recognise arable biodiversity as endangered and accept this is a site of county significance and more and it is irreplaceable."
An EWR spokesperson said: "Protecting the environment is a fundamental part of our decision-making and we're doing everything we can to avoid, reduce and mitigate negative environmental impacts to deliver a sustainable railway. "We have been in contact with the farm's owners and will continue to update them as our design progresses."We are committed to delivering 10 per cent biodiversity net gain for the project to improve and increase the level of biodiversity rather than simply replacing what is lost."
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