This is a guest post about the situation in the London Borough of Hillingdon.
Yet again The Department for Transport and HS2 Ltd. are letting down residents and local business owners by failing to provide sufficient information to allow people to make informed choices and plan for their future.
They have though written to Hillingdon residents to let them know that improvements have been made to the route, including saving Kenilworth Golf Club nearly 100 miles away, while failing to mention that Ruislip Golf Club will now be a tunnel portal and almost certainly be a massive construction site for a number of years.
They have written to some residents to tell them that they plan to compulsory purchase their property but that they haven’t employed the staff to do it yet. Let’s also not forget they do not have permission yet as HS2 although approved by the Secretary of State is not yet approved by parliament.
No wonder people are confused and concerned. Hillingdon faces a mind-boggling array of effects from HS2 so people need clear information and support, so Hillingdon Against HS2 will be providing both at Days Hotel, South Ruislip on Friday 2nd of March from 2pm till 7pm.
A variety of politicians will be attending including local MPs Nick Hurd and John Randall, Lib Dem and Labour GLA candidates, Deputy Mayor of London Richard Barnes, local councillors and the Mayor of Hillingdon, and various displays and information will be available to visitors.
Hillingdon faces tunnel portals, tunnel ventilation shafts, tunnels running under homes, gardens and businesses as well as green land and existing railways. Some homes face being within metres of the 100s of high speed extremely noisy trains that will leave the tunnel in Ickenham each day.
We also face the loss and/or devastation of vital green spaces and leisure facilities including Hillingdon Outdoor Activities Centre (HOAC), part of the Grand Union Canal and Walk, Savay Lake, the important Mid Colne Valley SSSI, including part of the River Colne and the Broadwater Lake Nature Reserve.
During construction we face possible commuter chaos, road closures and noise and dust pollution not to mention the phenomenal scale of these works and the vast amounts of spoil from the tunnel that will need to be moved.
All this for the bargain price of £32 billion to the tax-payer!
Make your voice heard and visit our information day or the Hillingdon against HS2 website