HS2 Update – October 2017

Planning, Transport

Wendover Parish Council HS2 Working Group (Wendover HS2, The Wendover Society and Wendover Chamber of Trade) met on Friday 1 September. The group recommended:

  • A public meeting on Friday 6 October in Wendover Memorial Hall. HS2 Ltd will tell us what we can expect during the construction phase. Other speakers: Errol Wisby, Senior Construction Manager C2; Groundworks, the company organising the HS2 Community Funding streams; a representative of the successful contractor consortium CEK.
  • WPC should change its agreed objective from opposing HS2 to seeking the best design and the best mitigation for Wendover. Why? In negotiations, HS2 Ltd, DfT, etc use direct antipathy to stonewall argument. If they think that we want to stop the project they won’t talk to us. We can’t influence if we don’t have a level of engagement.
  • WPC, carry on trying to engage with AVDC re: air quality and environment. The PC wants a baseline reading of air quality prior to construction to give context to monitoring during the build. AVDC is the responsible authority.
  • Bob Lewis and I are working with Lord Berkeley and a lobbying specialist on the benefits of the mined tunnel. We will try to influence the Treasury Committee through our lobbying contractor; we push on in making contacts with the contractor CEK.
  • There is to be a Bucks CC consultation on the cycleway proposal, funded by HS2 and mentioned last month. WPC wants as many people as possible to take part.
  • Ensuring that HS2 doesn’t damage our chalk springs is very important. At a recent meeting with HS2 it was agreed that a group including Andy Band for WPC; HS2 Ltd; and the Environment Agency should do a walkabout so that everyone sees the areas that might be affected as they are now. We are also pressing HS2 Ltd to provide downstream monitoring of outflows from the springs.

WPC accepted all of the recommendations.

Tom Walsh (Group Chairman)