WPC HS2 - UPDATE

Wendover Parish Council HS2 update

This month we have been focussing on providing MPs with details of issues with HS2 in terms of their lack of engagement, openness and transparency with regard to the mined tunnel option.

We are calling for a completely independent review of this proposal as we feel that it has not been fully and impartially reviewed. It would provide the following advantages:

1.Provides significant savings of between £354 million and £358 million (at 1st Quarter 2021 prices) with considerable additional savings compared to the current HS2 scheme.

2.Saves £750 million on a whole life basis including long-term maintenance costs compared to current scheme.

3.Reduces the construction programme time from 6 years to 3.5 years compared to the proposed route.

4.Protects 8000 homes in Wendover and the Chilterns AONB from visual, noise and environmental damage caused by the current complex above surface HS2 scheme; and

5.Prevents severe and costly restrictions on future A413 road development caused by the impact of the proposed HS2 viaduct on a vital transport route at Wendover.

We are encouraging a number of crossparty MPs to support our request at the Chris Packham debate on 13th September. We have had meetings with Sarah Green, the new MP for Chesham and Amersham, to update her on the issues faced just across the border of her constituency as well as with the office of Taiwo Owatemi who will be opening the debate.

In addition we have completed a Freedom of Information request regarding the previous consultations and correspondence regarding the mined tunnel option. To date we have not received any report that may have been commissioned so have no understanding of the reasons for HS2/DfT refusal of our mined tunnel idea. Other areas along the route have been granted tunnels in similar geographic areas, for similar reasons, so why not us?

We will update you with the outcome of the debate next month.

WPC would like to thank Tom Walsh for his dedication, time and support in fighting for the best for Wendover, during his time as Chairman of this group and the Parish Council.

Sheila Bulpett (WPC HS2 Working Group)