HS2 AND BACOMBE LANE

HS2 and Bacombe Lane - The Yerby Family

Two things worth mentioning first: Phil resigned in 2015 as Vice Chair of Aylesbury Conservatives and cabinet member for resources over HS2 and the planned overdevelopment of the Aylesbury area through its [10 year overdue] Local Plan. Secondly, we bought our house in Bacombe Lane knowing that HS2 was coming so, despite being strongly against it, we can’t complain too loudly and are trying to influence as best we can.

The HS2 people we have been dealing with are very keen to help within their remit. The biggest challenge is finding out and getting to any actual decision makers. We have the Project Director for the Wendover section of the line on “speed dial” and he is always happy to help (again within his remit). He does listen and has already moved the location of the Bacombe Lane diversion 20 metres, saving a tree. This is not a major victory, just an example of the small things that we can hope to influence.

Currently we are discussing the ‘sonic boom’ and sound mitigation for Wendover at the tunnel entrance/exit. We are still struggling to get HS2 to commit in writing to the decibel levels quoted in various Environmental Statements that will be achieved when trains actually run along the line.

Another concern is the Bacombe Lane diversion to Ellesborough Road. Originally planned to begin in March 2021 it is now unlikely to start this year. Bacombe Lane is currently a single track private road. It is actually owned by residents. Ironically HS2 Limited are of course shareholders in the road having bought many of the houses along it (We don’t even think they realise this!).

The plan is to change the single track road into a dual track road compliant with “Manual for Streets”: it will be built to full highway standards. As any developer will tell you, a developer only has to ‘mitigate the effects of its development’, not to ‘improve’ things. So why spend taxpayer millions on a road that isn’t required to be built and of course is supposed to be ripped up in the end. We are happy with a single lane track as we currently have now. So who owns or polices it? Will it be lit to full urban standards in an AONB where wildlife thrives? Parking restrictions? At one end it will be a free car park for the station and at the other a parking area for people accessing the woods. No specific objections but neither Bucks Council nor HS2 seem to have thought this through. No surprise that none of this could be answered immediately.

It appears this new road will be simply given over as Highways land - the responsibility of Bucks Council, we hope, temporarily. For us this raises the spectre of the Council changing the road to permanent and attempting to put houses along it when the project is completed. The HS2 Act is clear on restoring Bacombe Lane, albeit realigned to go over HS2 and we trust the same is true for the reinstatement of the existing fields. The HS2 Project Director for the line assures us “that is my instruction” but we are still seeking guarantees.

HS2 Ltd published map showing the Bacombe Lane temporary access road in orange. The green outline at the top is the temporary road diversion forEllesborough Road (behind the doomed cottages).