Comments for STOP HS2 - The national campaign against High Speed Rail 2

Comment on Last day of EHS consultation (Phase 2) by Valerie Duly

Valerie Duly — Mon, 20 May 2013 10:50:36 +0000

I have been recently widowed and am living in a large farmhouse on the proposed route of HS2. My ability to make any future decisions about downsizing and moving into a more urban area as I get older ( am 65 now) have been made impossible by being unable to sell my home , as here we are now living in what is described as ‘ a BLIGHT ZONE’. It will be impossible for me to continue to maintain a large property and gardens as I get older and to live in this situation one must be fit and able to drive. I have already tried to submit this information already but am unsure if it is getting through. Does this qualify me to apply to this hardship scheme?

Comment on Reaction to the NAO report by J.davis

J.davis — Mon, 20 May 2013 06:52:51 +0000

Elaine they could not give a dam about anybody getting about or affecting there lives .with all the facts now coming out from behind closed doors they still continue with this project no what anyone finds out .they will tell you just shut up we no best and let us continue spending your money give us your homes and land for nothing so our rich friends can get to London more quickly and make them more rich with giving them contrats to build this waist .they could not care about giving people in the north jobs ,if they were they would be spending more of our taxes up there now to help give them jobs now not in thirty years time ,when who knows what the world be like then with change happening so quickly trains will be old and be closed down like in the 60s with flying cars ,cars can drive them selves ,computers talking to each other who needs trains so come on scrap this project now

Comment on Reaction to the NAO report by Elaine

Elaine — Sun, 19 May 2013 21:44:29 +0000

At last the telegraph has given some of the details of what I could envisage will happen on the roads should HS2 be built.I do just mean some
as they state the case of 7 bridges needing to be demolished and re-built taking 8 yrs and also affecting the over ground rail service.
In spite of the fact they will destroy huge areas of countryside ,all along the route they will be affecting both country lanes and main roads.
these are vital for people to get to work and the holdups don’t bear thinking about.

Comment on Reaction to the NAO report by chriseaglen

chriseaglen — Sun, 19 May 2013 09:45:28 +0000

Housing and power station replacement are more urgently required for the UK.
The Times warns of the coming personal debt credit crunch so lower prices are needed not luxuries.
Work and Jobs are required outside the HS2 Y land grab.
MPs do not want to recognise realities and democratic requests these days as Cameron/Clegg with Osborne supported by Miliband and Adonis impose their self interests on thousands of doubters as bright and educated and skilful as these few priviledged people.
Cannot afford to be left behind is contradictory to the deficit reduction which Osborne and Burns dismiss.
Lack of belief is common to both MPs and the wider population hence the focus on protests in despair.
Parliament is out of its competence zone when a self serving small group of inexperienced people and a few engineers bulldoze the process ahead of adequate options with less land take and disruption.
Motorways and all roads lack the capacities for much wider daily needs for the circa 70million this decade.
If MPs do not get a grip of themselves and the nations long era ahead of lack of capital headroom the UK is in for a mighty fall.
Projects are awaiting the upswing which is not going to occur.
The Coalition and the alternatives are political groups not business and financing groups.
With 4 of the highest benefits zones in the NW and NE what is needed is to establish the off the coast shale projects there and use that income and taxes for the development across the NE and NW to offset the need to bludge London and the South East more.
The Coalition has failed to generate improvements at a rate with commercial investments and is gifting funds to stimulate some businesses and modest projects. The mega-rail projects are an indulgence for the occasional journeys of some but out of reach for the million of rail commuters and feight movements. HS2 does NOT provide the commuter and freight capacities that cannot be achieved by some medium scale works to ECML, MML and WCML. Merge HS2 into Network Rail and live within the UKs sustainable needs please.

Comment on As EHS consultation ends, new consultations begin by J.davis

J.davis — Sat, 18 May 2013 12:37:19 +0000

It seems to me that d Cameron is heading a team of bullies with the teachers calling mr gove a bully and the transport minister mr mcglochin bullying people along the route into just accepting everything he says and does not give one iota for people’s lives. No doubt the has been promised a knighthood if he gets hs2 running. This project should be stopped now before any more money is wasted.

Comment on A first look at the Environmental Statement Consultation by mike

mike — Sat, 18 May 2013 10:54:42 +0000

Being Non-Technical, I started on the Non-Technical Summary (some will say “Get a life”).
This document is named: HS2 Phase One Draft Environmental Statement.
It has a paragraph for each section of line with heading “Environmental effects”.
In each of these, it runs standard blurb:
“The potential environmental effects from
construction and operation of the scheme have been
assessed for xx environmental topics. A full discussion
of this assessment is provided in Volume 2, Report
YY. During construction, all potential effects …. (will be well managed and won’t be a problem – paraphrased).
I particularly like p94:
“During construction, the setting of several heritage assets would experience a significant effect, including listed buildings at Streethay Manor; Ellfield House
and Lodge; and Whittington Hill House and Hill Farm. Significant effects would occur as a result of the demolition and removal of heritage assets,
including parts of three ancient woodland and four important hedgerows; the demolition of Hill Farm;…” Some effect!
Go to p95 and you find:
View looking to the proposed line of route from public right of way near Hill Farm. I know there are two Hill Farms in this section of the route but…
What a view! Especially when sunset will be just that few minutes earlier or sunrise later – depending on your point of view. And is the tunnel for the right of way guaranteed or is it just a mirage?
From maps available neither farm appears to have buildings directly on the track.
How about p91:
“Most of the buildings at Packington Moor Farm would be demolished. The farm is used as a wedding venue and there is also a popular café and shop.
Consequently, this loss would result in a significant effect”.
After knocking down most of the buildings and leaving a couple of fringe structures on either side of the track, the effect might just be the total loss of a viable operation – and a lot of work for commercial surveyors and lawyers – and a lot of compensation. Some effect!

Comment on A first look at the Environmental Statement Consultation by chriseaglen

chriseaglen — Sat, 18 May 2013 09:14:36 +0000

Beware the Draft ES has detrimental changes hidden in some sections such as Aylesbury.
The Design Refinements document has mega issues for Stoke Mandaville and Calvert.
This is a worsening plan for central rural Buckinghamshire for no benefit and gain.
Why in the poorer Britain era is this costly MPs folly not changed to affordable upgrade of the rail Network.
The options are dictated without Community Forum involvement. Why so few are dictating the future for so many who have so much already. The politician plan is wrong for England. HS2 are making up the nighmare as they have proceeded to deceive in parts about cuttings and mitigations and tunnels.

Comment on Report shows case for HS2 has been manufactured, is out of control and will cost £53bn. by John Horvath

John Horvath — Fri, 17 May 2013 20:59:16 +0000

Is there any mileage in *someone* taking this to the European court in some way? I am not a euro fan, but if there is any way that we can use them to stop this…

Comment on Report shows case for HS2 has been manufactured, is out of control and will cost £53bn. by John

John — Fri, 17 May 2013 19:34:37 +0000

I am amazed that any business group is continuing to support hs2 when it’s business case has been trashed by such a reputable body as the nao

Comment on Report shows case for HS2 has been manufactured, is out of control and will cost £53bn. by J.davis

J.davis — Fri, 17 May 2013 18:12:03 +0000

I find it very worrying that the govenment transport dept say that margaret hodge team have been working on the wrong information ,if this the case why can not they tell us the correct information so we can see that our taxes are not being waisted so come on give us the info we need .i do not hold much hope of this because it is all smoke and mirrors ,all they want is a blank check book to spend our taxes on hs2 before more bad news comes out .they are worse than the bankers .they are stopping people moving on with there lives