Over the last few years, the Stop HS2 campaign has had to contend with proponents saying many things which sound like they might be true but aren’t. We were told HS2 was green, when it most certainly isn’t. We were told that HS2 will rebalance the economy and cure the north-south divide, when every bit of international evidence there is shows it will turn that divide into a chasm. We are now told HS2 is needed for capacity and the West Coast Mainline is full, when not only does the evidence show the WCML isn’t full, but it’s inter city routes are the last place on the network where capacity is needed.
Patrick McLoughlin has continued this tradition this week with two statements which stand up to no scrutiny whatsover. It was put to McLoughlin that the Black Country would lose services and have slower London trains he said:
“I don’t think there will be any loss of service. We are not building extra capacity to take away existing services. We’re building it to enhance existing services. Some passengers will want to use the new trains and the new link between north and south. This is about improving and expanding capacity.”
This represented a massive change of track from McLaughin’, what before was ‘freeing up capacity’ – which for anyone paying attention means ‘losing the trains you already have’, have now become ‘enhancing existing services’. The reality is of course that this is completely untrue. The Hs2 Ltd document showing the ‘freed up capacity’ which would come under HS2 is very clear. The current Virgin service to London from Wolverhampton, which calls at Sandwell & Dudley, shows 20 services per day. After HS2 this drops to 16 with two extra stops, clearly giving the Black Country slower and fewer London trains.
The other incident of making it up as he went along was when McLaughin-Boy said: “Sometimes you can’t get that on a benefit cost ratio analysis. When you look at the benefit/cost ratio for the Jubilee line in London it didn’t stack up but if it hadn’t been built nor would Canary Wharf have been built.” Now this wasn’t changing what is proposed, but actually re-writing history.
The reality was that the construction of Canary Wharf began in 1988 and the Jubilee Line extension was only authorised in 1990.
Bernie Douglas, who was working on the project at the time said “I was managing moves into Docklands from about 1989 and big firms like Price Waterhouse, Cable & Wireless and Citibank had decided to move there long before the JLE was agreed. There was a bus called the Dockland Clipper which provided a service before the DLR – known as “The Toytown Railway” was built. It was the DLR which was the catalyst as it showed commitment to the Docklands area for many of our clients.”
But who cares about the facts? As far as McLoughlin is concerned, it sounds like it might be true, and he needs anything which sounds good at the moment.
PETITIONING IN PERSON AGAINST THE HS2 ROUTE NEAR YOUR PROPERTY OR INTEREST
Self Actualisation: Is it ime for you to consider personal petitioning against issues arising from the HS2 project or works that affect you directly.
Householders, Farmers, Parishes and many other who are affected or who will be affected can consider paying the small fee £20/£25 to submit their specific objection to the October 2013 HS2 Hybrid Bill to be presented to Parliament, especially those who have notices served on them as affected parties. There were almost 400 petitions for the Cross Rail Hybrid Bill forcing changes and agreeing modifications locally.
The House of Commons Committee has a discretion to allow certain petitioners to appear including:
• Bodies representing trades, businesses and interests in a locality if they allege that
the trade, business or interest will be injuriously affected by the Bill.
• Bodies representing amenity, educational, travel or recreational interests if they
allege that the interest will be adversely affected to a material extent. This includes stables,
golf clubs, rugby clubs, fishing clubs, schools.
• Bodies affected by competition from the Bill’s proposals.
• Local authorities of any area, the whole or any part of which is alleged in the
petition to be injuriously affected.
• Inhabitants of such an area: householders: leaseholders and owners, farmers, parish councils.
• River authorities, land drainage authorities and conservators of forests, commons
or open space.
Your petition will be a summary of objections a person, group or party has to a particular aspect of a Hybrid Bill. Formally, it is a request from the petitioner to be allowed to argue his or her or their case on the HS2 Bill where it does damage or causes risk to people or property or interests.
The purpose of petitioning the Bill is to gain changes or assurances over matters
There are reference on the web such as the LB of Greenwich paper show how the petition is formatted. An example of the Dickensian text is in this link:
AGAINST THE CROSSRAIL HYBRID BILL IN PARLIAMENT HOUSE …
http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm200506/cmbills/001/36.pdf
The Bill will, if enacted, not make provision for a …
The petitioner .. is the ….inappropriate proposed hours of working as a ground on which the petition …
How to Petition against a Private Bill in the House of … – Parliament
http://www.parliament.uk/documents/upload/commonspetitioningkit.pdf
A bill is known as a ‘hybrid’ bill, and special rules provide right of petitioners to be heard against a bill. Lord Justice Ouseley advised one case against Route 3 location may be able to do this. All impacted parties can prepare a petition. It must be submitted within 10 days of the Bill so time is of the essence.
Hybrid Bills – Factsheet L5 – Parliament
http://www.parliament.uk/documents/commons-information-office/l05.pdf
Write your notes on what will impact your house, farm or club and change your lives adversely and then write and be ready to submit your petition. Self petitioning is effective as is obtaining the help of others. You need to be ready in October because you have only 10 days to make a submission. It is worthwhile trying yourselves.
If ever there was an example of how the ‘Westminster bubble’ is out of touch with the people, it is HS2. The Hyperbole Express.
I now see that Patricks right hand man is being moved from hs 2 project .You never no he might be leaving a sinking ship good luck to Mr Burns in his new roll ,I bet you are glad to be out of promoting hs2 .you may now look at hs2 in a new light lets hope so
I BELIEVE THERE IS A MISTAKE IN THE HEADLINE ‘HS2 WILL BOOST THE BRITISH ECONOMY BY 25PC MORE THAN ESTIMATES’ SHOULD THIS NOT READ 25P?
ALWAYS REMEMBER OSBORNE AND HIS BUNCH OF EGO JUNKIES DO NOT CARE FOR US OR OUR ENVIRONMENT AND HOLD US IN CONTEMPT.THEY ARE A DANGEROUS BUNCH!
IF THOSE TOOTH ROTTING BON BONS ARE SOLD ON HS2 THEY ARE BOUND TO BE PROHIBITIVELY EXPENSIVE AND INCREASE IN PRICE YEARLY ABOVE THE RATE OF INFLATION.THIS WILL AT LEAST SAVE THE TEETH OF THE POORER PEOPLE SUCH AS MYSELF
MARK