Firstly, the Exceptional Hardship Consultation for Phase 2 ends on Monday 20th May. This was extended from the original deadline when Hs2 Ltd released documents – from 2010 – which were relevant to the Phase 2 consultation.
We urge everyone, even if not on directly effected by Phase 2, to respond to the consultation. People affected by the Phase 1 route have experience of the failings of the existing scheme and these can be pointed out where appropriate: one of the newly released documents is relevant to Phase 1 EHS.
Quite a few people have been looking in details at the proposal, and guidance on filling it in can be found from them:
- HS2 Ltd “How to respond” webpage
- Warrington Stop HS2 quick guidance notes
- EHS – SOWHAT response guidance
- HS2AA phase 2 EHS consultation response guide (PDF)
If you already responded before the deadline was extended, HS2 Ltd should have contacted you, in case you want to make changes to your original submission due to the new information.
Secondly, the HS2 Phase One draft environmental statement consultation and HS2 Phase One Design Refinement consultation started yesterday, and will continue 8 weeks to 11th July.
- Documents about the Environmental Statement can be downloaded from the HS2 Ltd environmental statement website section.
- Documents about the Design Refinement Consultation can be downloaded from Design Refinement Consultation section.
Although HS2 Ltd warn that many of the files are large, they told us on twitter yesterday that smaller files would be available by emailing HS2enquiries@hs2.org.uk. Printed copies can be ordered by ringing 0300 123 1102 (and press option 1),
Given the size of the files, Stop Hs2 think that CDs of the information should be available to everyone who wants to see them. We also think that smaller versions of the files should be available to download from the HS2 Ltd ES consultation website.
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.
The draft environmental statement is written to promote HS2 and to support a pretense that such a project as this will have minimal environmental and amenity impact despite all the independent evidence to the contrary.
The real impact of HS2 has been cynically obfuscated/whitewashed.
To read it HS2 would hardly have any impact on the Chilterns AONB.
Their discussions/opinon regarding the loss of tranquilty beggars belief.
Citing 24 then 36 trains per hour (essentially non stop traffic at that speed) ; the impact is likely to be significant, HS2 denies this and has much faith in its ability to develop noise mitigation technology. It appears that the information HS2 ltd have promulagated regarding noise pollution from HS2 is likely seriously( and possibly knowingly flawed) according to one expert who has been in contact with me.
It is a vast document that probably ticks all the EU boxes , it is fact loaded but fatuous and partial in its conclusions.
It would be as it is written to promote HS2.
It needs to be challenged academically/technically therein lies the rub ie the costs of such challenge .