Hughenden Valley Residents Association

Press release from Bucks County Council

Members of 51m, the alliance of local authorities opposed to HS2, have served a formal letter on the Secretary of State for Transport asking her to rescind her decision to proceed with HS2 and giving notice that they may otherwise challenge the decision by way of judicial review. The Transport Secretary announced her support for the HS2 project on January 10.

Councillor Martin Tett, Leader of Buckinghamshire County Council, speaking on behalf of 51m said: “We are taking this stance with regret. We would far rather that the Government had listened to the people of this country who have decisively rejected this massively expensive project and instead opted for the far better, cheaper and more quickly delivered alternative put forward by 51m. Communities in the Midlands and the north of England risk being bypassed and left to decline by HS2. We should be investing in our existing rail and road infrastructure across the entire country to bring jobs and growth now when it is needed.”

Councillor Ray Puddifoot, Vice-Chairman of 51m and Leader of the London Borough of Hillingdon added: “The consultation process was unfair and inadequate in many respects. Ordinary people whose lives and livelihoods will be severely affected between Birmingham and Manchester and Leeds were not even given an adequate chance to have their say. The whole project represents extremely poor value for money for the hard pressed UK taxpayer and it is right that we challenge the Government’s decision to progress with this misguided scheme.”

51m are not against the principle of High Speed Rail in the UK but do not believe that the case put forward by the Department for Transport/HS2 Ltd is justified as it provides very poor value for money. 51m have proposed a much better alternative, the core of which is doubling the capacity of the current West Coast Mainline costing less than 10% of HS2. This would cater for the future demand predicted by Department for Transport, provide the capacity much sooner so that current crowding problems are addressed, and cause significantly less disruption to the existing network than HS2.

Professional pianist David Meacock is going to give a piano recital to raise funds towards legal action in against HS2. It will contain all-time favourites, which were often played by Liberace and Richard Clayderman, such as the first movement of Beethoven’s Moonlight Sonata, Chopin’s Third Ballade, Liszt’s Liebestraume No. 3 and Debussy’s Clair de lune, as well as Meacock’s own transcriptions of the Deer Hunter and Onedin Line themes.

David, who has appeared abroad and in major London venues such as St John’s, Smith Square and the Queen Elizabeth Hall, has had his playing compared with “the maestro of pianists Maurizio Pollini” in Switzerland and Josef Lhévinne a leading virtuoso who was a contemporary of Rachmaninoff. An audience member of his recent London recital in aid of Cancer Research wrote afterwards: “It was truly an amazing and memorable recital!”

David said: ”Having recovered from the shock and sheer idiocy of the Government’s decision, and reading that a judicial review will cost at least £200K, I decided that I’d better do my bit towards it. As I know that even those who have never been to a piano recital before will probably know much of what I shall be playing and enjoy any they don’t yet know, I hope that we can raise some funds together, enjoy the music together and meet together in yet another show of solidarity against this horrendous environmental threat to our local communities.”

The recital will take place at 7:30 pm, on Saturday 25 February in St Mary’s Church, Amersham.

Tickets will be £10 in advance (students under 21: £7) or £12/£8 on the door available from the A40 Choir (Beaconsfield) page of www.a40music.com or via 01753 886005.

Press release from AGAHST says: The AGAHST Federation (Actions Groups Against High Speed Rail Two) has appointed Deanne DuKhan as Campaign Director with immediate effect. The role is full time and will strengthen the campaign and build on growing public and media opposition to HS2. Previously head of the AGAHST Parliamentary Liaison Group, Deanne was appointed by and reports to a new Campaign Board which brings together AGAHST, HS2 Action Alliance, Stop HS2 and Transport Sense. To allow for the growing number of action groups, AGAHST is now organised in regional groups, currently South and Central, with NW and NE forums to be added as the route to Manchester and Leeds is announced.

Jerry Marshall, Chair of the Campaign Board says “Deanne is the right person for the next stage of the campaign, as we take new legal and political action. Momentum against HS2 is building and the new business case is even worse than before, with a net benefit ratio under 50p for every £1 invested when up-to-date information and assumptions are used. It is only a matter of time before Government comes to its senses and begins to invest in our real rail needs, create jobs and growth, and abandons this vanity project.”

For more information please contact Jerry Marshall, Chairman, AGAHST (Action Groups Against High Speed Two) on chair@betterthanhs2.org or 07941 017236 (mobile).

Martin Tett, the Leader of Buckinghanshire County Council and Chairman of the 51m Alliance of local authorities opposed to HS2 has sent this letter to all Town and Parish Councils affected by HS2 pledging to continue the campaign against HS2, including possible legal action.

As widely reported Justine Greening the Secretary of State for Transport has announced the go ahead for the HS2 project with the addition of some new tunnelling. Those that affect our area are a longer, continuous tunnel from Little Missenden to the M25 through the Chilterns and a longer green tunnel to significantly reduce impacts around Wendover and an extension to the green tunnel at South Heath.  In addition there will be a new 2.75 mile bored tunnel along the Northolt Corridor to entirely avoid major works to the Chilterns Line and impacts on local communities in the Ruislip area.  There will also be a longer green tunnel past Chipping Warden and Aston Le Walls, and a curve added to the route to avoid a cluster of important heritage sites around Edgcote.  For full map detail follow this link.  Incidentally, a green tunnel is built differently to a bored tunnel.  The soil is excavated on the surface, a tube is placed in the excavation and is then covered over with soil, plants and grass.  It is the same principle as was used at the infamous Tesco tunnel in Gerrards Cross.  Her full written statement is as follows:

“The Secretary of State for Transport (Justine Greening): The consultation High Speed Rail: Investing in Britain’s Future was one of the largest national consultations ever undertaken by the Department for Transport. 54,909 responses were received, from individuals, businesses and organisations across the country. It is clear from the consultation that a national high speed rail network – High Speed 2 – generates strong feelings, both in favour and against the scheme.

Since becoming Secretary of State for Transport I have taken time to consider all aspects of the consultation proposals and the evidence arising from both consultation responses and further work undertaken or commissioned by my Department and HS2 Ltd. This statement summarises my decisions.

I have decided Britain should embark upon the most significant transport infrastructure project since the building of the motorways by supporting the development and delivery of a new national high speed rail network. By following in the footsteps of the 19th century railway pioneers, the Government is signalling its commitment to providing 21st century infrastructure and connections – laying the groundwork for long-term, sustainable economic growth.

High Speed 2 (HS2) is a scheme to deliver hugely enhanced rail capacity and connectivity between Britain’s major conurbations. It is the largest transport infrastructure investment in the UK for a generation, and, with the exception of High Speed 1 (HS1), is the first major new railway line since the Victorian era.

The HS2 Y network will provide direct, high capacity, high speed links between London, Birmingham, Leeds and Manchester, with intermediate stations in the East Midlands and South Yorkshire. There will also be direct links to Heathrow Airport and to the Continent via the HS1 line. It will form a foundation for a potentially wider high speed network in years to come.

HS2 will be built in two phases to ensure that the benefits of high speed rail are realised at the earliest possible opportunity. The line from London to the West Midlands and the connection to HS1 are expected to open in 2026, followed, in 2032-33, by the onward legs to Manchester and Leeds and the connection to Heathrow. The capital cost at 2011 prices of building the complete Y network is £32.7 billion. At present values, it will generate benefits of up to £47 billion and fare revenues of up to £34 billion over a 60-year period.

The benefits of HS2 will extend beyond the network itself; links to current lines will enable direct trains to run to cities such as Liverpool, Newcastle, Glasgow and Edinburgh and, with long-distance services transferring to the new network, space will be freed up for new commuter, regional and freight services on other lines, opening up new opportunities for Britain’s existing railways. Links to key urban transport networks, such as Crossrail, will help to spread the benefits further still.

HS2 is entirely consistent with the Government’s objectives for carbon emissions. Electrified rail is a comparatively low-carbon mode of transport, especially with the continued decarbonisation of the grid. Speed increases power consumption, but also makes HS2 more attractive to those currently flying or driving. The faster journeys on HS2 – Edinburgh and Glasgow will be just 3.5 hours from London – could transfer around 4.5 million journeys per year who might otherwise have travelled by air and 9 million from the roads. HS2 will also create more rail capacity on existing conventional speed lines for freight – removing lorries from our busy trunk roads. HS2 is therefore an important part of transport’s low-carbon future.

In securing these benefits for our country, I am committed to developing a network with the lowest feasible impacts on local communities and the natural environment. I have been mindful that we must safeguard the natural environment as far as possible, both for the benefit of those enjoying our beautiful countryside today and for future generations.

People living along the line of route highlighted particular concerns and provided constructive and thoughtful comments about the London to West Midlands route proposed at consultation. Following careful study by my engineers I can announce a package of alterations to further reduce the route’s impacts. The changes mean that more than half the route will now be mitigated by tunnel or cutting and there will also be a reduction in the impacts on people and communities, ancient woodlands and important heritage sites.

The changes include:

• A longer, continuous tunnel from Little Missenden to the M25 through the Chilterns;
• A new 2.75 mile (4.4 km) bored tunnel along the Northolt Corridor to entirely avoid major works to the Chilterns Line and impacts on local communities in the Ruislip area;
• A longer green tunnel past Chipping Warden and Aston Le Walls, and to curve the route to avoid a cluster of important heritage sites around Edgcote; and,
• A longer green tunnel to significantly reduce impacts around Wendover, and an extension to the green tunnel at South Heath.

The revised route offers considerable improvements to communities, with the number of dwellings at risk of land take almost halving and the number experiencing increased noise levels reducing by a third. Despite these improvements to limit the negative impacts of the line, HS2 will inevitably affect some homeowners, communities and businesses. To help those affected, we will bring in a package of measures, which are over and above what affected homeowners are already entitled to under law. These include:

• A streamlined purchase scheme to simplify the statutory blight process for property owners;
• A sale and rent back scheme to give homeowners within the safeguarded area more flexibility;
• A streamlined small claims scheme for construction damage which will allow individuals and businesses who are entitled to compensation under existing law to claim it more quickly and simply;
• A package of measures to reinforce confidence in properties above tunnels. Homeowners will be offered before and after surveys, a thorough assessment of the impact of similar tunnels, an explanation of the measures that will be taken to prevent perceptible vibration impacts, financial compensation for the compulsory purchase of subsoil, and a legally binding promise that HS2 will be permanently responsible for resolving any related settlement or subsidence issues; and,
• A refreshed hardship-based property purchase scheme.

Finally, we will work constructively with local authorities along the line of route to minimise the negative consequences of HS2 and maximise the benefits.

In November I announced the Triennial Review of HS2 Ltd, and in making my decision I have accepted the finding that HS2 Ltd is the appropriate body to continue undertaking this work.

Today I have presented to Parliament a full account of my decisions titled High Speed Rail: Investing in Britain’s Future – Decisions and Next Steps. My Department has published a series of supporting documents which set out in further detail the basis on which I have reached my decisions. All of this material is available at www​.dft​.gov​.uk/​h​i​g​h​s​p​e​e​d​r​ail .

There are widespread reports in the media today that the Government is set to announce the approval of HS2 next week. The BBC report that Ministers say the proposal is “being seriously considered”. Network Rail have published this report which says that HS2 is better than the alternatives. The Telegraph says that the proposal will be approved by Transport Secretary Justine Greening. The announcement is expected on Tuesday. The BBC also has this map of the route on which you can click to see more detail of each area affected.

The war of words is hotting up in the build up to the final decision on HS2 which the Government says will be announced on or before Friday 13th January.  Today more than 100 business leaders, MPs and economists have mounted a campaign in favour of HS2 in letters to the Financial Times, the Daily Telegraph and the Guardian, they say HS2 would create jobs and ease transport overcrowding. 

The group urging the government to approve the rail link argues that it would be a boost for business, especially across the north of England, which has been hit hard in the economic slowdown.  The letter, which says up to one million British jobs could be created, states: “Economic studies show that effective modes of transport, including high-speed rail, enable entrepreneurs to get their goods and services to market in a secure and timely manner and facilitate the movement of workers to the most suitable jobs.”  It goes on: “The absence of a high-speed rail line connecting the north of England to London and the European Union is a continuous embarrassment to British businesses promoting UK plc overseas.”

BBC transport correspondent Richard Westcott said the letter showed there was cross-party support for the HS2 rail line, with union leaders like RMT head Bob Crow and Len McCluskey, general secretary of Unite, “effectively supporting a Conservative transport policy”.

Dirty Mavis has launched their “Oak Tree Lament” on behalf of the StopHS2 campaign in the hope to have a No 1 hit for Christmas.  It can be downloaded from the HMV website and from iTunes.  For further details go to http://www.oaktreelament.org.uk.

Dirty Mavis is a band from Buckinghamshire who’ve been playing together for over 10 years. They all have ‘day jobs’, but meet religiously every Monday night to play their favourite music and have a laugh. They gig around 6-10 times a year usually at private parties, fundraisers and local pubs.

They are:

Martin Davis - Lead Vocal & Guitar
Mike Hannon - Lead guitar
Kay Fisher - Keys, Sax & Violin
David Brown - Rhythm guitar and Backing Vocals
Steve Vinden - Bass and Vocals
Martin Hill - Drums and Backing Vocals

Their infectious fun loving attitude never fails to rub off on the audience, and they always get people up dancing and having fun, and they love that.

Then, one day in the summer of 2011, their lead singer Martin Davis (a bit of a closet tunesmith) bumped in to one of the organisers of the anti HS2 protest on a dog walk and offered to write a song.  And this is it – ‘The Oak Tree Lament’ – they knocked up a quick demo, and it was so well received they were asked to debut the song at the Speen Festival.

So far all quite normal – just them playing in a pub. But in the audience that day was Joe Rukin – leader of the official National Stop HS2 Group, and a few days later he sent them an email with a rather ridiculous idea: “How about we release it as a single, and try to get it to Christmas Number 1?”

Of course, they thought he was barking mad (the jury is still out by the way), but after about the third or fourth email, they realised he was serious, and he had a pretty credible plan – and of course hundreds of thousands of people very much against the HS2 to call upon… This could raise money and, critially, awareness for the Stop HS2 campaign.

So they realised they had to give it a shot. They needed to get a decent recording done very rapidly, so they went ‘in house’ and recorded and mixed the song in their drummer Martin’s garage studio. They sent the final mix for mastering to someone who knew what he was doing – James Thomson from sound designers Sonicouture (many thanks James), and found the web site dittomusic .com to release and distribute the song digitally to all the well known online stores. So within a couple of weeks, and with no budget, Dirty Mavis had released their first single.

Recently posted on youtube by the Pan Camden HS2 Alliance, this Christmas video uses sound recorded by the BBC to give an indication of what might be expected from HS2.

Jerry Marshall, chairman of Action Groups Against High Speed Two, filmed a show for BBC’s “Inside Out” on Monday.

The eight minute film compiled by Mr Marshall was accompanied by a film making the case for the proposed London-to-Birmingham line.

Mr Marshall said: “It was great fun, partly because we have such a strong story.

The programme can be viewed on BBC iPlayer at http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b018032h/Inside_Out_West_Midlands_05_12_2011/

According to the Independent this morning, the new Transport Secretary, Justine Greening, will today come under huge pressure to change the proposed route of the £34bn High Speed Rail link between London and Birmingham.

The transport select committee has signalled its support for the Government’s HS2 high-speed rail project – as long as it does not drain money from the rest of the rail network.  Mrs Ellman, chairperson of the committee added: “Investment in HS2 must not lead to reduced investment in the ‘classic’ rail network. We are concerned that the Government is developing separate strategies for rail and aviation, with HS2 separate from both. We call again for the publication of a comprehensive transport strategy.”

She continued: “HSR may be a catalyst for economic growth, helping to rebalance the economy and bridge the north-south divide, but the Government must do more to promote local and regional growth strategies to ensure we get maximum economic benefit from HSR.

The committee felt “HSR is affordable: HS2 will cost around £2 billion per annum over 17 years. Construction of an HSR network should start with the line between London and the West Midlands, as this is where capacity needs are greatest. But we are concerned that, under current plans, HSR lines won’t reach Manchester and Leeds for more than 20 years.”

“The Government should also look at options to build southwards from the north and link to other lines such as the Midland Main Line. We see no reason why the Scottish Government should not begin work on a Scottish high-speed line, to connect with the English network in due course.”

“Investment in HSR has potential to boost growth but may have a substantial negative impact on the countryside, communities and people along the route. This must be better reflected in the business case for HS2 and future phases of the project. We would encourage the Government to follow existing transport corridors wherever possible.”

AGAHST, the Action Group Against HS2, issued a press release arguing that the committee’s recommended revisions destroy the business plan case for the £30 billion project.  In particular:

Value of Productivity Gains
In its report, the TSC has called for a revised business plan with ‘a lower value attached to time savings’ (para 69). With faster journey time gains equating to 40 percent of the hoped for economic return delivered by HS2, any reduction in their value pushes project below the Government’s stated minimum acceptable Net Benefit Return of 1.5.

In addition, if the value of time saved is reduced the need for ultra-high speed rail – which cannot follow existing transport corridors – is removed and alternatives to HS2 become more attractive.  The TSC said that the slower routes were prematurely ruled out (para 68).

 Alternatives to HS2
The report also demands that the Government must explain in detail why HS2 is better than alternative solutions (para 107).  A full review of priorities for the rail network and detailed plans for alternatives to HS2 are detailed at www.betterthanhs2.org.

18 trains an hour
To meet the passenger demand projected by HS2 Ltd and the Department for Transport HS2 will need to run 18 trains an hour on the new line.  The TSC report raises concerns on the technical feasibility of HS2, pointing out that “18 trains an hour on a high speed line has not been attempted elsewhere” (para 116).

Specialist consultants SYSTRA suggest that delivering this number of trains will require “significant technical and engineering developments”. While HS2 Ltd has stated it will be possible using technology that will be available in the middle of this decade, although have as yet failed to provide evidence of this.

Commenting on the report, Jerry Marshall, Chairman, AGAHST;

“Given the partisan composition of the TSC we welcome the significant number of issues that its report has raised around the fatal flaws in HS2’s business case.  Specifically, that viable alternatives to HS2 have not been investigated thoroughly; that the value of potential productivity gains delivered by HS2 have been greatly inflated and lastly the technical feasibility of being able to run 18 trains per hour is a risk.  This simply leaves the case for HS2 in tatters.”

Penny Gaines, Stop HS2, added;
“The Transport Select Committee has picked up on a number of significant problems with the current HS2 Ltd proposals.  The issues they highlight about the business case and the environmental case are serious enough to make the Government rethink the whole rationale for the existing ultra-high speed proposals.”

The Transport Committee has agreed to publish its Tenth Report of Session 2010–12, High Speed Rail (HC 1185-I), at 00.01 am on Tuesday 8 November.  The press will be receiving embargoed copies at 8:00am on 7 November, so you can expect to be able to read about it in your morning papers on Tuesday.

The committee’s role is to investigate the strategic case for the high speed rail link.  They  are not examining the detail of the route or how it would affect individual businesses and residents.  If it is recommended to go ahead, the specific route will be dealt with by a hybrid bill committee.  For details of the terms of reference of the committee please follow this link Transport Select Committee

Maria Eagle, the shadow transport secretary, confirmed in a speech to the Airport Operators Association that Labour has abandoned the route it had proposed when in government for the planned HS2 line between London and Birmingham in favour of an alternative scheme.

Labour now supports a route running past Heathrow and then parallel to the M40 and the existing Chiltern railway line that skirts Princes Risborough, Bicester and Banbury.

The initial plan was drawn up by Lord Adonis, the former transport secretary, two months before last year’s general election. In a speech to the Airport Operators Association, Eagle will admit it was flawed and that it was a “huge mistake” not to connect Heathrow to the route from the start.

Labour’s new proposed route will appeal to many Tories in the Amersham, Great Missenden and Wendover areas who are dismayed by the prospect of a line enabling high speed trains to pass through Conservative heartlands in the Chilterns.

In an attempt to put pressure on Justine Greening, the new transport secretary who is facing opposition over the route from grassroot Tories, Eagle will say that residents in the home counties have been “wrongly insulted as nimbys by Tory ministers”.

The route now proposed by Labour would include a main transport hub at Heathrow, allowing the airport to be directly connected to the High Speed Two (HS2) railway line as early as 2022.  Under the existing plan, Heathrow will be connected to HS2 only by a spur line that is not projected to be completed until 2033.

Greening is already facing a potential battle over the HS2 scheme after Cheryl Gillan, the Welsh secretary, reportedly threatened to resign over the £33 billion project in protest at the route passing through her Buckinghamshire constituency.

Today the Adam Smith Institute released its new report on High Speed 2, High speed fail: Assessing the case for High Speed 2.
The report examines the case for the HS2 project and finds that in almost every case the evidence is highly doubtful about whether it would be worth the money. Put together, the doubts and unanswered questions around HS2′s viability mean that the case really isn’t persuasive enough for the government to go ahead with it.

The first leg of the project, between London and Birmingham, will cost at least £17bn – and up to £50bn if the whole project between London and Scotland goes ahead. We think that this is a low-ball estimate, given the very high inflation rate we are experiencing and public pressure for more tunnels to avoid despoiling natural landscapes.

Previous experiences with high speed rail in the UK should make even the most enthusiastic supporter of HS2 think twice. High Speed 1, which links London St Pancras station with the Channel tunnel, cost £5.7bn but only sold for £2.1bn. Projections by the promoters of HS1 overestimated the number of passengers by three times the actual figure. Passenger predictions are notoriously difficult – they cannot take account of what measures competitors will take. If the reality for HS2 was anything like these figures, it would create a fiscal catastrophe for the government.

Internationally, there are only two high speed rail lines in the world that do not rely on taxpayer subsidies to remain operational. (They are Paris-Lyon and Tokyo-Osaka, for the trainspotters out there!) The company that operates TGV in France is €25bn in debt. China, long used by advocates of HS2 as an example of a country doing high speed rail properly, has had a disastrous experience with train crashes.

The supposed environmental benefits are extremely weak too, mostly resting on the idea that fewer people will choose to fly to Scotland once a high speed rail link is operational. Even if this were true – and, again, it is undermined by previous experiences with high speed rail passenger estimates – it would not take effect for at least thirty years. Nobody in 1980 could predict travel patterns in 2011; why does anybody today think they know what the world will be like in 2041? In the meantime, the 30 minute travel reduction between London and Birmingham is unlikely to change much.

In short, the case for HS2 is remarkably weak. The government should scrap it and save taxpayers from having to cough up for it.

According to Jerry Marshall, the chairman of AGAHST (Action Groups Against High Speed Two) this is make or break time in the fight against the HS2 project. Now that Justine Greening has replaced Philip Hammond at the Ministry of Transport a new push is under way to encourage opponents of the scheme to email their MP and the new minister.  To encourage the process a new web site www.highspeedrail.org.uk has been developed to make the process much simpler.

To spread the word, opponents are being encouraged to:

1. Phone a friend or relation away from the family.

2. Ask if they are by a computer with Internet access.

3. Be sure to wait while they power up the computer. Use the time to remind them how the Government plan to squander £ billions of their money on a completely unnecessary project that only helps a few people when instead they should be investing in transport infrastructure in your friend’s area.

4. Tell them to go to www.highspeedrail.org.uk

5. Suggest they click either ‘click here is see the impact of HS2 on your city’ on the left hand side then ‘email your MP’; or just click ‘email your MP’ on the right hand side. They can also email the minister.

6 Stay on the line to help them if necessary until an email is sent!

The much-anticipated Parliamentary debate on the proposed HS2 rail scheme went ahead on 13 October – all be it, a bit late!
The cause of the delay: a long debate on the use of handheld devices in the House of Commons…. At one point Wycombe MP Steve Baker pleaded the business be allowed to move lest his ‘constituents flay me alive’.

Martin Tett, Leader of Buckinghamshire County Council and Chairman of 51m – the alliance of 18 local authorities committed to challenging the Government’s case for HS2 watched the debate from the public gallery. Martin said: “It was definitely not Parliament at its best. To drag out a debate on ‘Twitter’ in preference to discussing the proposal to spend £32Billion of taxpayers’ money on a highly controversial project shows strange priorities.”

When the HS2 Debate did commence, Andrea Leadsom, Conservative MP for South Northamptonshire, opened stating in opposing HS2 she was defending the taxpayers of the UK against the spending £32 billion on an unjustifiable and eye-wateringly expensive project.

She blasted the business case, saying it made ludicrous assumptions and would never cure the North-South divide, as claimed, indeed 73% of any jobs created would be in London. Heavily subsidised by taxpayers, 99% of people in the UK would use it only once a year, she said. Other alternative measures could, she stated, be delivered more cheaply and immediately, easing capacity problems now. “We may not land a man on Mars by 2026, but there will be technical advances made which will make HS2 outdated before it’s built.”

She concluded: “HS2 will be a white elephant. It’s not visionary, it’s not green and it’s not economically sound.”

Geoffrey Robinson, Labour MP for Coventry North West, told the chamber HS2 would be subsidised massively by the taxpayer, thinking behind it was the wrong way round – the line from London to Birmingham was not needed, and any new line should be built from the north to the south. He described HS1 as ‘the biggest flop ever. Sold off at a whopping loss’. Furthermore, he said, in all likelihood, the northern sections would never get built because of the enormous expensive.

Steve Baker, Conservative MP for High Wycombe also opposed the scheme wanting to know if the financial returns were as good as the Government claimed why wouldn’t private businesses invest in the scheme?

At the conclusion of the debate Martin Tett commented  “I am delighted that the overwhelming majority of speakers were firmly against the scheme, including now MPs from inner London such as Frank Dobson (MP for Holborn and St Pancras) and the north such as Fiona Bryce  (MP for Congleton). What the debate did reveal is the fundamental weakness of the HS2 case – the business case is flawed; there is no evidence that HS2 will bridge the north-south divide or achieve any regeneration benefits. It will be an environmental disaster, not just here in the Chilterns AONB but right along the line. There are huge disbenefits to our existing rail network and to many towns and cities in the Midlands and the North which will have the economic life drawn from them as they are bypassed by HS2 and suffer slower , reduced train services.

“It makes no sense at all to squander £32 billion on HS2 when local authorities are having to reduce services, small businesses, the backbone of our economy, are going bust for want of a few thousand pounds and we have two and a half million people unemployed.

“It is clear that those supporting the scheme were  still unable to give any clear evidence in support of their views.

“It’s time for the Secretary of State for Transport to put this vanity project to rest, scrap the scheme, go back to the drawing board and look at better ways of investing £32 billion in this country.”

The consultation period for HS2 closed on July 29th. The Government has said that the outcome will be announced ‘before the end of 2011′. See the Department for Transport website for more details.

Interesting to note that there has been a flurry of negative comment about the proposal in the press following the end of the consultation. On July 31st, the Sunday Telegraph argued “HS2? Just give us a decent train service”. On August 2nd the FT called HS2 a “vanity project unfit for an austere age”. And on August 3rd the Evening Standard called it “the fastest way to waste billions”.

Also on August 3rd, HS2 Action Alliance placed a half-page ad in the Times with a summary of HS2 opinion poll results. And finally here is a compilation of what various MPs, councils, and other bodies have said ‘on the record’ in opposition to HS2 .

Consultation on the Government’s HS2 scheme closes at midnight on Friday 29th July. If you have not already submitted a response, it is probably best to do so online on the Department for Transport Consultation Website. The whole thing need take no more than ten minutes. Remember this is the only opportunity you have to give your views about the proposal. There is more information on the consultation questionaire, and suggestions for how to respond, on both the Chiltern Society and Stop HS2 websites.

The Chiltern Society have released this video with commentary by actor and Chilterns resident Geoffrey Palmer showing areas of countryside that would be devastated if the railway was constructed on the current proposed alignment.

Anti-HS2 umbrella group Agahst have written to say “As you may know, the pro-lobby are saying they have 400 businesses supporting them. We need to respond and show that there are event more opposed to it! Therefore we like to get businesses to sign a list indicating support to stop HS2. They might be smaller owner managed businesses. Or directors / senior managers.” You can add your name to this list using this sign-up form.

HVRA road reps have distributed this important update leaflet to encourage everyone to respond to the public consultation on the scheme by the 29th July deadline [...]

Thirteen local authorities including Bucks County Council have joined together in a national campaign to actively challenge the HS2 scheme. They are known as “51m” because that represents how much HS2 will cost each and every Parliamentary Constituency £51million. The group want to emphasise the impact this proposed scheme will have on every taxpayer in the country for years to come. Their website at www.51m.co.uk is an excellent source of information about HS2 and what we can do about it. Remember that the Government’s HS2 consultation ends on 29th July – make sure you have your say.

A leaflet giving details of the Alternative Route 2.5 is available at the HS2 Ltd roadshow. This is the route that would cut through Hughenden Valley on a giant viaduct.

We are concerned that this is a ploy to get those living close to the Preferred Route 3 to suggest that the Alternative Route 2.5 which would cut through Hughenden Valley be adopted. If this were to happen there would be no further consultation and therefore no opportunity for Hughenden Valley and neighbouring residents to respond.

The Speen Area Action Group (SAAG) met in Speen Village Hall on 10th May to present the latest details on HS2. SAAG and the Federation of 60 Action Groups Against HS2 (AGAHST) are fighting High Speed Rail outright. HVRA is also a member of AGAHST and contributes to the fighting fund.

Please visit www.speenbucks.org.uk for all the very latest information about the Transport Select Committee which seeks submissions by 16th May 2011 and the Public Consultation which ends on 29th July 2011.

Bucks County Council has formed the 51M Group with 13 Local Authorities, with more coming on board, to give a national profile to the campaign because it will cost every parliamentary constituency in the land £51 million to deliver the scheme. HS2 is a waste of public funds (over £1,000 per household) as it is not value for money. This is based on a cost of £34 billion, but with increasing energy costs and price inflation these figures will rise substantially.

WHAT YOU CAN DO:

• Please write to your MP, David Lidington with your views to swell his mailbag
• Also encourage six friends and family who live “off-line” to write to their MPs expressing opposition and encourage each of them to ask six more friends and family who also live “off-line” to write to their MPs.
• Attend the Road Shows. Please do not complete the Consultation document at the Road Show, but take it home and complete it after reading the Q & A section on the SAAG website. This also applies when completing the Consultation document on-line.
• Respond to the Consultation by 29th July 2011.

As mentioned in the spring edition of Hughenden News here is the link to the Stop HS2 website where you will find information to assist you with the Consultation on HS2: http://stophs2.org/hs2-consultation

Local Roadshows presented by HS2 Ltd are as follows:

Great Missenden Mobile Exhibition
Link Road Car Park HP16 9AE
Thursday 12th May 8am – 8pm

Wendover Exhibition
Wendover Memorial Hall
Wharf Road HP22 6HF
Friday 13th May 8am – 8pm
Saturday 14th May 9am – 5pm

Amersham Exhibition
Amersham & Chiltern Rugby Football Club
Ash Grove, Weedon Road, HP6 5QU
Wednesday 18th May 8am – 8pm
Thursday 19th May 8am – 8pm

CLOSIING DATE FOR CONSULTATION 29TH JULY 2011

Philip Hammond, Secretary of State for Transport, launched the HS2 consultation today with a speech in Birmingham. The consultation runs until Friday 29th July 2011 and full details are on the Department for Transport HS2 Consultation website. An overview of the process is also given in this HS2 Ltd Newsletter also published today.

Part of the process is a series of ‘roadshows’ along the length of the route, the venues and dates for which are on the consultation website. There is one in Great Missenden on Thursday 12th May, and two in Wendover on Friday 13th and Saturday 14th May.

Protest umbrella group HS2 Action Alliance have issued a statement saying “HS2 Ltd/DfT have launched the HS2 consultation today. We are reviewing the released documents, but currently believe the set to be incomplete, and will advise shortly. We suggest that you do not respond immediately to the questions posed but await the outcome of our reviews.” The Stop HS2 website also has news and reaction to the launch of the consultation.

The Bucks Free Press and others are reporting that the Government is to launch the HS2 Consultation on Monday 28th February in Birmingham. Yet there is nothing about it on the Department for Transport website or the HS2 Ltd website. Anti-HS2 organisation StopHS2 thinks there is dirty business afoot.

HS2 Action Alliance have circulated this two-page paper rebutting six myths about HS2.

The HS2 Action Alliance team have been in touch to say:
“There are lots of HS2 public opinion polls going on at the moment. They all go towards raising public awareness of this project. Countryfile are running a poll on whether HS2 should be built at www.countryfile.com/polls. Please cast your vote. If a ‘vote’ button does not appear click the ‘High Speed link…’ title above the photo or the ‘Polls’ link middle, top. You don’t need to login or register to vote.”

Details of the Stop HS2 National Convention on Saturday 19th February are available on this poster and on the Stop HS2 website

The following update about anti-HS2 petitions has been received from the HS2 Action Alliance team:

“The campaigning group 38degrees is taking votes on whether Stop HS2 should be one of its next campaigns. So far it is ranked 7th. Click here to vote. You can optionally add a comment.

The Stop HS2 Go Petition is now at just over 30000 signatures and is gaining steadily. Good work with spreading the word. Let’s keep it up and get that other 70000.”

Here’s a copy of the most recent Planning Sub-Committee Report (Autumn 2010)
with updates on Rural Affordable Housing, HS2, The Harrow, Greenacres, Binders Yard, and cat’s eyes and a chemical smell on the A4128.
- Dory Morgan, Rosemary Hewitt and Paul Cawte

On Monday 20th December, Transport Secretary Philip Hammond made a statement to Parliament on the Government’s plan for HS2. This is the full text:

With permission, Mr Speaker, I wish to make a statement on the Government’s plans for the development of a national high speed rail network, and on the proposed route that we will put forward next year for public consultation.

One of the Coalition’s main objectives is to build an economy which is more balanced both sectorally and geographically, that will deliver sustainable economic growth while delivering on our climate change targets. Investment in infrastructure, and transport infrastructure in particular, will be a key part of that approach.

To deliver economic growth and carbon reduction we must provide attractive alternatives to short-haul aviation, while addressing the issue of scarce rail capacity between the city centres. Network Rail has calculated that by 2024 the West Coast Main Line will effectively be full, with no further enhancements that could reasonably be made to meet future demand.

The Government believes that the best long-term solution to these challenges is the development of a national high-speed rail network. Our proposed strategy is for a Y-shaped network, to be delivered in two phases: the first a line from London to the West Midlands, and the second the onward legs to Manchester and Leeds with connections to points further north via the East and West coast mainlines.

Our proposals would provide an unprecedented increase in capacity on the key north-south routes out of London, through a combination of new infrastructure and released capacity on existing lines.

Reliability would be improved and journey times between major cities would be slashed. Central Birmingham would be brought within 49 minutes of London – potentially less for non-stopping trains – and within 1 hour 5 minutes of Leeds. The released capacity on the West Coast Mainline would offer the possibility of commuter frequency fast services to London from places like Coventry and Milton Keynes.

By running trains seamlessly onto existing inter-city routes, our proposed network would also bring Glasgow and Edinburgh to within three-and-a-half hours of London – fast enough to induce a major shift of passengers from domestic aviation. In the longer-term, we will also explore with the Scottish Government the options for further reducing journey times to Scotland.

The development of a high speed rail network has been a key factor in our decision on additional runways at London’s airports, and that is why we have said from the outset that any such network must be linked to our principal gateway airport and integrated with the European high speed network via HS1. In June, I asked HS2 Ltd to carry out additional work on such links. I have studied that work and the recommendations of Lord Mawhinney’s review. I have also examined Arup’s proposals for a transport hub near Iver.

I have concluded that a spur to the airport, running on the surface close to the M25 for part of its length, is the best option. It is lower-cost than the other options considered by HS2 Ltd, keeps journey times between London and Birmingham to a minimum, and retains the flexibility to be extended into a loop in future. In order to deliver the best possible value for taxpayers’ money, I propose that a spur be constructed as part of the second phase of the network, opening at the same time as the routes to Manchester and Leeds. I have today asked HS2 Ltd, to carry out further work on such a spur route, with a view to public consultation later in this Parliament alongside the routes to Manchester and Leeds.

For the period prior to the opening of that second phase, high speed rail travellers to the airport would be able to change to fast Heathrow Express services at Old Oak Common, where there would also be a direct interchange with Crossrail.

With regard to a link to HS1, HS2 Ltd’s report identifies that a connection can be made via a new tunnel from Old Oak Common to the North London Line near Chalk Farm, from where existing infrastructure can be used to reach the HS1 line north of St Pancras. This proposal is significantly cheaper than any other option for a direct link, and would enable direct trains to run from the midlands and the north to Europe, without affecting existing service levels on the North London Line.

Such a tunnel can only be constructed before the Old Oak Common interchange comes into operation, so this link will be included in the phase one scheme put forward for consultation.

Mr Speaker, the Government believes that the construction of a high speed rail network will support economic growth and the rebalancing of the UK economy. But we recognise that the proposed line will have significant local impacts on the areas it passes through. And that we have a duty to do everything practically possible to mitigate those impacts.

That is why, since my appointment as Secretary of State, I have reviewed the proposals of the previous administration. I have looked at the case for High Speed Rail, at the corridor options for a north-south route, at the different route options put forward by HS2 Ltd and in detail at the route option recommended in its March report. I have reached the conclusion, as the previous administration did, that the route option recommended in March represents the most appropriate general alignment for the High Speed Railway between London and the West Midlands. However before finalising the detailed route that I am publishing today for consultation, I travelled the length of it and talked directly to local authorities, property owners, many of the protest groups and their Members of Parliament, as well as commissioning additional work on the options for improving the proposed alignment.

As a consequence, significant amendments have been made to both the vertical and horizontal alignment, and to the proposed mitigation measures. In total, around 50% of the preferred route proposal published in March has been amended in some respect.

I am confident that solutions have now been found which can significantly mitigate the impacts of the railway at local level which, when properly understood, will reassure many of those who have been understandably apprehensive about the potential impact on their lives and their property values.

For instance, in Primrose Hill, work to identify the most appropriate locations for the necessary vent shafts has shifted the proposed tunnel, and thus also the vent shafts themselves, to the north, away from the most sensitive areas of this part of London, locating them alongside the existing railway.

Between Amersham and Wendover, opportunities to cover section of the proposed cutting to create a ‘green bridge’ and longer ‘green tunnel’ have been incorporated into the route design to reduce its visual impact and avoid severance of public rights of way.

At Hartwell House, by moving the alignment away from this historic property, HS2 Ltd have been able to ensure that the line would not be visible from the House itself and that additional earthworks and planting can be undertaken to further reduce visual and noise impacts.

And in the most northerly section of the route, an improved alignment has been identified which would move the line further from Lichfield.

But, Mr Speaker, despite our best efforts at mitigation, we will not be able to avoid all impacts on property values. Where a project which is in the national interest imposes significant financial loss on individuals, I believe it is right and proper that they should be compensated fairly for that loss. So I have asked my officials to prepare a range of options for a scheme to assist those whose properties would not be required for the construction of the railway, but who would nonetheless see a significant diminution of value as a result of the construction of the line. The forthcoming consultation will include proposals for such a scheme, which will sit alongside the statutory blight regime which covers those whose properties would need to be taken to build the line.

I am publishing today on my Department’s website and placing in the library of the House, a set of reports by HS2 Ltd which set out for each route section the options considered and the changes proposed, together with detailed maps showing the revised preferred route from London to the West Midlands in full. This route will form the basis for the public consultation, which I expect to begin in February next year.

When the consultation is launched, I will also publish a revised business case; a full Appraisal of sustainability; noise contour maps; and route visualisations; all of which can only be completed now that the final preferred route for consultation has been determined.

Let me be clear, the consultation will encompass the Government’s strategy for a national high speed rail network, the choice of corridor and the detailed line of route that I have outlined for the initial London to West Midlands phase.

As part of the consultation process, roadshows will be held along the length of the preferred route from London to the West Midlands to ensure that local people have the opportunity to find out more about the project and to discuss specific concerns with those involved in developing the scheme.

Mr Speaker, it is my view that a high speed rail network would deliver a transformational change to the way Britain works and competes in the 21st century,

It would allow the economies of the Midlands and the North to benefit much more directly from the economic engine of London, tackling the North-South divide more effectively than half a century of regional policy has done, expanding labour markets and bringing our major conurbations closer together.

The consultation exercise we will launch in the New Year will be one of the biggest and most wide-ranging ever undertaken by Government and I urge all Hon. Members with an interest to participate and to encourage their constituents to do so.

These proposals have the support of political and business leaders from all parts of the United Kingdom, and I hope they will gain cross-party support in this House.

Mr Speaker, I commend this statement to the House.

A letter from DfT gives a useful update on the situation regarding HS2 here

Apparently the previous petition disappeared into the ether on change of government, so the Stop HS2 organisation have started a new anti-HS2 petition here.

HS2 Action Alliance have published the second issue of their newsletter with a roundup of recent activities against HS2. You can view or download it