HS2 Can you remember engagement? HS2 Ltd have always been a bit patchy at it but Eiffage Kier (EK) always appeared to be as open as commercial diktats allowed. But that was then, and this is now. HS2’s engagement guy, Vernon, has become the invisible man. EK are not very forthcoming on the progress their design team are making on big issues like noise. I understand that Wendover Cricket Club are still being messed about and that landowners, who allow access to their fields, still go uncompensated. There appears to be a major disconnect between what the monkey does and what the organ grinder says. Parliament wanted, and HS2 promised, to be good neighbours. Just hot air, I think.
We are still determined to achieve a Agency to set up a meeting to discuss round table meeting of engineering Hydrogeology and we have BCC’s Flood experts to thrash out the merits of our Officer contacting them too. Mined Tunnel Proposal, once and for all. We have met with Greg Smith MP for The working group has been pushing Buckingham. Greg is a Wendover resident forward, together with our parishes and a determined opponent of HS2. He north of Wendover, on Hydrogeology supports our Mined Tunnel proposal. and the potential for HS2 to flood parts of Aylesbury. We are engaging with AVDC Following the findings of the Independent and Bucks CC councillors to mitigate this Complaints Assessor on the WPC potential result of HS2’s Green Tunnel complaint, I’ve had a letter from HS2’s design. The Mined Tunnel design that we CEO Mark Thurston. He accepts all of are promoting completely mitigates the the shortcomings highlighted in the flood risk. adjudication, he tells us that the system is improved and that it won’t happen We are building a working relationship again, and he apologises a lot. So, a result with Coldharbour Parish Council, as they of sorts. Both the Assessors report and are likely to be the recipient of the water Mark Thurston letter can be found on the that is to be diverted by the green tunnel WPC website at www.wendover-pc.gov. The council has resolved to continue with towards Stokes Brook. uk/hs2. our lobbying of politicians for a further three months, Coronavirus permitting. We are approaching the Environment Tom Walsh
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Wendover News April 2020
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