HS2 – window of opportunityBy Kathryn Gurney
Thanks to all who came along to The Lee Parish AGM. During the discussions on HS2 someone requested that useful addresses might be posted so that people can write and make their views known.
There is an important window of opportunity to do so now, as the new administration settles and as spending decisions are made.
The High Speed Rail proposals are weak on economic and on environmental grounds and some points from George Monbiot’s article in the Guardian and from Steve Rodrick are highlighted below:
- when construction is taken into account, HS2 journeys from London will produce 60% more carbon than conventional rail;
- 92% of expected customers will switch to HS2 from less polluting alternatives;
- the business case is not strong – with a cost benefit analysis that is not explained: £25.5bn expected cost for phase 1 – with a return of £15bn in fares over 60 years;
- £580m cost per minute saved on the journey time to Birmingham;
- almost £100m per mile (on first costing - which it is anticipated will go higher);
- no Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) was released and no costing for environmental damage is made;
- the passenger numbers are based on 1990 patterns, projected forward, taking no account of changing business and travel patterns (IT changes, etc.).
Time to take it to the top
By Viv Robins, Clerk to The Lee Parish Council
As part of the protest against HS2, campaigners have been circulating details of the relevant Ministers to lobby, and I thought I could do worse than list them here. (I’ve had to up-date the entry for Treasury Chief Secretary, given that a week is famously a long time in politics).
Rt Hon. David Cameron MP, Prime Minister: 10 Downing St, London SW1A 2AA. E-mail via https://email.number10.gov.uk/.
Rt Hon. George Osborne MP, Chancellor of the Exchequer: HM Treasury, 1 Horse Guards Road, London SW1A 2HQ. Tel: 020 7270 4558. E-mail: ministers@hm-treasury.gov.uk.
Rt Hon. Danny Alexander MP, Chief Secretary to the Treasury (responsibility for cutting the deficit in public finances): HM Treasury as above.
Rt Hon. Philip Hammond MP, Secretary of State for Transport (direct responsibility for High Speed Rail): Department for Transport, Great Minster House, 76 Marsham St, London SW1P 4DR. Tel: 0300 330 3000. E-mail: rail@dft.gsi.gov.uk.
Rt Hon. Chris Huhne MP, Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change: 3 Whitehall Place, London SW1A 2AW. Tel: 0300 060 400. E-mail: correspondence@DECC.gsi.gov.uk.
Rt Hon. Caroline Spelman MP, Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs: Nobel House, 17 Smith Square, London SW1P 3JR. Tel: 08459 33 55 77. E-mail: helpline@defra.gsi.gov.uk.
Richard Benyon MP, Parliamentary Under-Secretary for Natural Environment and Fisheries (responsibility for Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty): DEFRA as above.