Post-consultation decision on HS2 delayed until mid-January 2012

6th December 2011

The Department for Transport has reportedly found an extra £500m for a 1.5-mile tunnel to go under the Chilterns to avoid scarring the landscape.

CPRE National Office has welcomed plans for more tunnelling but said it was concerned the additional funding would potentially come from cutting back on mitigation measures elsewhere on the scheme. Ralph Smyth of the CPRE said the alteration would be "something to help swallow the bitterness".

He added: "Just because countryside is not nationally designated does not mean it should not be valued and protected. In the context of more road building and aviation expansion, we support the principle of investing in rail. The question is the detail of how it is going to be done."

The government’s announcement on the scheme, due on 20 December, has been postponed until January 2012.

MPs right to give amber signal to High Speed Rail

8th November 2011

On 8th November, the Transport Select Committee’s much anticipated report into High Speed 2 was published, following eight months of evidence taking from a wide range of organisations, including CPRE. The report supports arguments made by CPRE that the current proposals give ‘undue emphasis’ to the need for a world record speed of 250mph.

Responding to the publication of the report, Ralph Smyth, Senior Transport Campaigner for CPRE, said: “We agree with the Committee on the need to proceed with High Speed Rail but to proceed with caution. The question now is, how High Speed Rail should be delivered - not if. We are delighted the report shares CPRE’s view that the Government urgently needs to set out an overall transport strategy and properly assess its proposals for HS2 within the wider context. This needs to happen before it proceeds any further with specific proposals.”

The report criticises the tone of the public debate, calling for both sides to stop disparaging the opposite side and instead focus on facts.

CPRE’s Ralph Smyth agreed adding: “It’s time for those who think HS2 is either the best thing since sliced bread or simply a white elephant to stop shouting everyone else out of the debate. Punch and Judy politics will not deliver the best from HS2 for our economy, society or the environment.

“The Government is expected to announce it will proceed with HS2 this December and the precise route for the first section to the Midlands. When and if it does, we need to ensure HS2 is accompanied by wider planning to maximise the long term benefits for the environment and economy.”

See: Transport Commmittee Report

See: Commons Select Commmittee Press Release

See: CPRE National Office Press Release

CPRE Oxfordshire responds to High Speed Rail Consultation

June 2011

In February 2011 the Department for Transport published a Consultation Summary, ‘High Speed Rail: Investing in Britain’s Future’ and mounted a series of road shows at which the designers were available for discussion and comments were invited. The closing date for responses to the consultation is July 29th.

A number of members of the Executive Committee of the Oxfordshire Branch of CPRE oppose any high speed rail line across open country and HS2 in particular, based on the fact that it would be contrary to CPRE's commitment to protect the countryside. The Henley and Mapledurham District of Oxfordshire CPRE have opposed HS2 without qualification.

The consultation poses 7 questions and we have provided our answers to these questions, based on the ‘Right Lines Charter for High Speed Rail’ that summarises CPRE's main policy concerns (see: CPRE Charter).

See: CPRE Oxfordshire Branch consultation response June 2011 - FINAL.pdf

We believe that many improvements can be made to the HS2 proposals as they stand, and we have submitted a separate response which deals specifically with mitigation measures and local details and which suggests amendments to the proposal in an attempt to be helpful should the development go ahead.

Our specific concerns involve the impact of the scheme on the tranquil countryside in and around the Oxfordshire parishes of Godington, Newton Purcell, Finmere and Mixbury.

The key local issues are: a) the visual impact of the works in the landscape and the aesthetics of structures etc, b) noise nuisance and destruction of tranquil countryside, and c) the impact on wildlife and bio-diversity.

See: CPRE Oxfordshire response Mitigation measures and detailed design June 2011 - FINAL.pdf

CDC backs campaign to oppose HS2

May 2011

At a meeting of its Executive on Monday (7 March) Cherwell District Council agreed to back growing opposition to the Government's high-speed rail project HS2. The Executive agreed to make £50,000 of its reserves available for work on preparing objections to the proposals. This will be done in conjunction with other concerned councils across the south-east and Midlands.

The money will help fund the technical and legal consultancy needed to make an effective, in-principle objection to the scheme and mount a campaign asking the Government to reconsider.

It will also pay for specialist consultancy to assist the Planning Committee in examining the landscaping and environmental measures that are needed in Cherwell should the scheme get the go-ahead.

The council's planning department will bring a report back to the Executive toward the end of the Government's consultation period so the council's formal response can be considered.

A total of 13 councils are already part of the campaign to oppose HS2, all of which have signed up to the following position statement:

"The authorities along the route have come together to oppose the proposals for high-speed rail as they are currently proposed.

"We do not believe that the business case stacks up and therefore cannot support the route suggested by Government and are actively working on a plan to strongly object to the proposals.

"We are opposed to the current high-speed rail proposals as they are presently outlined and do not believe that they are in the best interests of the UK as a whole in terms of the benefits claimed in the business case.

"We are not opposed to the need for higher-speed rail per se and fully acknowledge the need for strategic improvement to the national rail infrastructure but cannot agree with the current proposals as the economic and environmental benefits are not at all credible.

"We do not believe that all the other alternatives to achieve the transport capacity, regeneration and environmental benefits have been fully explored by the Government and with in excess of £30billion proposed to be invested, we owe it to the nation to ensure these are fully explored."

See: Cherwell District Council website

A Charter for High Speed Rail

April 2011

CPRE National Office has taken a leading role in setting up a powerful alliance of respected organisations that has drawn up a Charter to hold the Government to account on its approach to high speed rail. The Right Lines Charter sets out four core principles ‘for doing High Speed Rail well’.

The Charter calls for a national transport strategy, better future-proofing of big transport proposals, effective public participation and a more strategic approach to minimising adverse impacts.

CPRE National Office believes the approach to high speed rail currently falls well short of the Charter’s principles, so it is using the Charter as a way to change the Government’s thinking.

The Right Lines Charter Group comprises 9 national charities, including Greenpeace and Friends of the Earth, as well as the Chiltern Society.

See: CPRE National Office website

CPRE Oxfordshire is very disappointed at the "take it or leave it" style of HS2 Consultation

28th February 2011

Transport Secretary Philip Hammond has today (28th February) launched a five month consultation into the proposals for the HS2 line.

Responding to the announcement CPRE Oxfordshire's Chairman, Alan Jones, said 'We are very disappointed at this "take it or leave it" style of consultation on something as important to the whole country as high speed rail travel.".

In its Press Release, the National Office of CPRE labelled the consultation process for High Speed 2 as a "complete train wreck". CPRE described the consultation as a head-on collision between Government plans to develop national infrastructure and its proposals to give power back to people.

Ralph Smyth, Senior Transport Campaigner at CPRE, said: "The Government has been so focused on trying to catch up and overtake the French on High Speed Rail, that they have failed to ensure the public get their fair say."

He added that the consultation amounted to "a single route option, which the Government has already made up its mind to favour", that would be followed "by a Parliamentary petitioning procedure that has changed little since the days of 19th century railway barons".

See: CPRE National Office Press Release (28 February 2011)

See: DfT Consultation documents (external website)

CPRE Oxfordshire hits out at High Speed 2 plans

15th February 2011

In a press release issued on 15th February, CPRE Oxfordshire hits out at HS2 plans.

On 20 December 2010 the Secretary of State announced the proposed line of the High Speed 2 route between London and the West Midlands for consultation. This consultation, which is expected to commence in late February 2011, will also cover the Government’s broader strategy for high speed rail.

CPRE Oxfordshire has therefore been re-assessing its position on HS2 and its impact on both the County and the wider South-East.

HS2 have recently made a number of alterations to the route, including adjusting the route and engineering in the section through Oxfordshire to reduce its impact slightly on local villages. But there are still many fundamental issues with the HS2 plans which CPRE cannot support.

Dr Helena Whall, Campaign Manager for CPRE Oxfordshire, said:

“We remain highly critical of many aspects of the HS2 proposals. It will be damaging to tranquil, rural parts of the South East, it is not the “green” solution to rail capacity it claims to be and 250 mph trains are not environmentally friendly.

It is very disappointing that the Coalition government has not taken the opportunity to re-assess high speed trains and investigate less damaging ways to improve rail capacity and journey times to the North and Scotland. Instead the government is now pushing ahead with plans that are only slightly different from the HS2 proposals published a year ago.”

See: CPRE Oxfordshire Press Release, 15th February 2011 (PDF)

See: High Speed 2 website

See: StopHS2 Map of the route (external website)

Planned route of HS2 altered after protests from countryside campaigners

21st December 2010

The planned route of the high-speed rail line from London to Birmingham has been altered after protests about its impact on the countryside.

Transport Secretary Philip Hammond confirmed on 20 December that the government broadly agreed with the chosen HS2 rail route. But he said 50% of the preferred route published in March 2010 had been amended.

A major public consultation on the London to Birmingham route of HS2 is now expected in February 2011.

In terms of the impact within Oxfordshire, as expected the new route has been pushed further east of Mixbury, so that it no longer follows the old disused railway line at that point.

There is to be a new road bridge over HS2 just to the east of Mixbury and a new A421 bridge over HS2, a little further to the east.

The route still passes directly to the north of Newton Purcell. There is to be a new A421 bridge over HS2 next to Newton Purcell and a new HS2 viaduct over the floodplain to the north east of Newton Purcell.

CPRE Oxfordshire notes the moves to reduce the impact of the earlier proposals on the villages in north east Oxfordshire by putting the line in deeper cuttings, but remains highly critical of many aspects of the HS2 proposals as they stand.

When the revised plans are published in full, CPRE Oxfordshire will need to study the impacts in more detail when the revised plans are published and see how responsive the government will be to calls for screening, landscaping and other mitigation measures. CPRE appreciates the very real concerns of those whose properties will be seriously affected.

We will continue to campaign for additional rail capacity to be created in the most sustainable way, and for the countryside and rural communities to be properly safeguarded.

See: DfT Map of the new HS2 route - the sections of the new route that are relevant to Oxfordshire are shown in maps: 04013 and 04014 (external website)

See: StopHS2 Map of the route (external website)

New HS2 report recommends moving route eastwards, away from Mixbury in Oxfordshire

15th September 2010

On 15th September, HS2 published a report to government refining the alignment of Route 3, identifying locations where it could reduce the environmental impact of the line through changes in the alignment, both the location of the line (horizontal alignment) and its height/depth (vertical alignment). It has not considered at this stage the more detailed secondary mitigation of noise or visual impact that will come through detailed design following the initial public consultation stage and would include, for example, consideration of bunding and noise barriers.

Consideration of changes to the recommended alignment were focussed on the route north from the Chilterns, in the vicinity of Brackley, to Lichfield.

One of the locations recommended for refinement was Brackley, a few miles northwest of the parish of Mixbury in Oxfordshire. HS2 propose to move the route eastwards away from Mixbury, helping to minimise the noise and visual effects of HS2 for Mixbury.

The report proposes "a revised alignment that would move the route eastwards away from Mixbury to pass in deep cutting to the north of Turweston, passing further east of Brackley and Greatworth, a little closer past Radstone but in deeper cutting, before re-joining the original Route 3 alignment."

The report continues: "This alignment would help minimise the noise and visual effects of HS2 for Mixbury, Turweston, Brackley and Greatworth."

See: HS2 Report 'Refining the Alignment of HS2's Recommended Route'.

The government responds to the HS2 Exceptional Hardship Scheme consultation

26th July 2010

The Written Ministerial Statement (WMS) on the HS2 Exceptional Hardship Scheme was published today (Monday 26th July).

The previous Government launched a consultation on a potential Exceptional Hardship Scheme to provide assistance for those who have been most severely and immediately affected by the preferred route option for a new line between London and the West Midlands set out in the recent report by HS2 Ltd. This consultation closed on 17 June. Around 4,500 responses were received. The Ministerial Statement sets out the government's response to the consultation.

The Rt Hon Phillip Hammond said: "It is clear from the responses to the consultation that there is overwhelming support for a scheme to be introduced to provide assistance for those most severely affected by HS2 Ltd's proposed line. I can therefore confirm that an Exceptional Hardship Scheme will be introduced, and that it will be open to applications from Friday 20 August."

See: Rt Hon Phillip Hammond's Statement on the DfT website
For more info: High Speed 2 website

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