MOTORISTS will not be the only ones to benefit from the £380m A1 upgrade as a rare butterfly is set to have its habitat increased to help grow its population.

The upgrade to the A1 between Leeming and Barton in North Yorkshire will create a continuous motorway-standard route between London and Newcastle, improving journey times and increasing safety.

Highways England had initially intended to plant a small number of elm trees at woodland next to the improvement.

But then a white-letter hairstreak butterfly – only the fifth to be recorded in Yorkshire – was discovered.

The rare insect lays its eggs on elm trees, so instead of planting the necessary remaining trees of a different species, the company increased the number of wych elm trees it intended to plant to 130 to encourage the butterfly to continue to populate the local area.

Highways England project manager Tom Howard said: “This improvement on the A1 will improve journey times and increase safety for the 69,000 drivers who use it every day.

“We are delighted that as well as delivering this key improvement we are also able to support local wildlife and conservation projects. This major work has been planned to have a minimal impact on the environment surrounding the scheme.”

The scheme has also donated 300 surplus tree saplings to a local parish council funded project on a stretch of old railway line near Brompton on Swale which sets out to attract birds and bees through the creation of and improvements to existing habitats.

A further 200 trees were donated to the Foxglove Covert Local Nature Reserve near Richmond.

The trees, which included the silver birch, hawthorn, alder, field maple and oak species are aiding the creation of new habitat and increasing biodiversity around the reserve.