Campaigners from the entire 351 mile proposed route of HS2 will descend on the Stafford County Showground on 29th June for the second Stop HS2 National Convention. With 30 sessions covering all aspects of the HS2 project and campaigning against it, the convention will provide a ‘crash course’ on HS2 for people coming in to the campaign following the announcement of the Phase 2 route earlier this year.
All of the main groups opposing HS2: Stop HS2, HS2 Action Alliance, AGHAST and 51m will have a presence, with both the Woodland Trust and the Wildlife Trusts explaining the environmental devastation which HS2 would bring. Economics professors will explain the holes in the business and economics cases and amongst other sessions, there will be experts talking about noise, compensation, mitigation, dealing with HS2 Ltd, fund raising, using social media and what people can do to forward the campaign.
Politicians taking part in a Question Time session will include Conservative MP Bill Cash, UKIP MEP Mike Natrass and Deputy Leader of the Green Party, Will Duckworth.
Click here to buy tickets for the Stop HS2 2013 Convention
Tickets are available via the Stop HS2 website at a cost of £10. After the costs of the eveny have been covered, any profits will go towards campaign funds. To help with scheduling, people will be asked to give an indication of which sessions they would prefer to go to when buying tickets. It is hoped that communities can co-ordinate who goes to which event so they get the most out of the day. Registration starts at 9.30, with the event closing at 5.30.
The Stafford County Showground is effected by the line of HS2, as was the venue for the 2011 convention in Stoneleigh, Warwickshire.
Stop HS2 Campaign Manager Joe Rukin said:
“There are a lot of people out there who have had HS2 dumped on them and don’t know what to do, but the will if they come to the convention. Besides all the sessions we are running, there will be a great chance to network with other people on Phase 2 and people on Phase 1 who have been living under the same shadow for three years.
“Our first National Convention in 2011 was a massive success, with people from up and down the route of Phase 1 learning a lot from the sessions and feeling a lot more positive and supported after meeting so many other people with the same views. We are certain that the same thing will happen this year, and it will only make the campaign against this insane white elephant vanity project even stronger.”
When I was a young lad I saw a brand new push bike in the window of the local shop ,I rushed home to ask my parents to buy it for me ,they sat me down and explained to me that they are having to put food on the table and pay there gas and electric bills and they could not afford to buy it for me I went of crying .i see in today’s papers that George Osborne wants to cut millions of our schools cutting back in a and e nhs and yet he gives the transport dept a blank cheque book to proceed with hs2 a project we can all live without except our leaders .i just don,t understand there logic behind this surely it is more important to keep our services going propley not waisting funds on a vanerty project like hs2 so come on our mps think about it and get this project stopped now before any more money is waisted you all no it makes sense so lets see some action now
Very well done vickie shanks for dealing with Patrick McLaughlin and holding him to account .you would think as the man works for the general public he would have showed a lot more interest in what the local people say about his project but no just the bully boy tactacts what we have had from start .i am glad you sent him back squirming these people are cowards and do not want to hear what the plain people want like if it was put to the general people which would like us to spend 30 40 50 billion ? On hospitals schools roads police or hs2 I bet I no the answer they would give .but all you hear is we must have our train set no matter what every one thinks it makes your blood boil over when you hear all the problems people along the route are having and a govenment not listing .all we can do is keep on spreading the bad feeling is having this project is having on people’s lives
If the appeal case(s) require a decision in the European Court about the use of the Strategic Environmental Assessment SEA in the UK the Convention would be a helpful opportunity for people to lodge their local and personal examples for evidence in that future case. This is used to provide high level of protection and to promote sustainable development. HS2 one track each way is not sustainable development as Beeching discovered and HS1 discovered you need train demands Hence the addition of the Javelin with integration into Network Rail. These are not designed into the HS2. 4 tracks would not provide the integration for Route 3. The Convention could identify for the case where there is not the high level of protection. For example loss of amenities and splitting of villages and homes. The Convention is an excellent venue to obtain all the local issues on paper for the case.