Thiw was a very well attended meeting of the Stop HS2 by Colwich, Little and Great Haywood, Wolsey Bridge and Hixon.
It was chaired, and run by Jeremy Lefory, the MP for Stafford with some input from others including Stafford BC and Rolfe Pearce. The session lasted between 16:00 and 17:30 in whch Jeremy talked for about 3/4 hour and then answered queestions from the floor. An assistant took notes and Jeremy assured the audience that many of the concerns and questions would be taken up with appropriate ministers. He was also liasing with Bill Cash over amendments to the Hybrid Bill which will be progressing through Parliament in the next few months. This would be a mamoth 40,000 page bill.
Jeremy and Bill Cash were emphatically opposed to HS2. He estimateted that there were around 150 MPs against the bill but this left 500 for it.
Jeremy outlined there were three aspectsd to HS2.
Compensation: this was the Essential Hardship Scheme of compensation which would be in operation between when it was enacted and when the route was published. Thus the EHS would be active until around 2016 when the final route was published in the Hybrid Bill. Then the second (main) compensation scheme would come in to play. These compensation schemes are probably not adequate.
Mitigation: What can be undertaken to mitigate the construction route etc. ( see Kings Bromley report for comments on this)
The HS2 Project itself: Jeremy commented thast there had been a West Coast Main Line project to construct a new line between Great Haywood and Norton Bridge as the line via Stafford was the largest bottle neck on speed throught the route from London to the North. Jeremy stated that he would support such a scheme if HS2 was stopped. Thus Gt Hatwood etc would still get a rail project.
The HS2 project had the support of all three main political parties. The Hybrid Bill part 1 (London - Birmingham) is in progress, will be around 40,000 pages and will come to parliament in 2013/14.
Part 2 (ours) consultation will take place between now amd around 2014. 2016/17 will see a second Hybrid Bill. Construction will only take place when the Cross Rail project (£2bn pa) is finished and phase 1 is completed. Insufficient funds to run otherwise. Having to borrow the mony to pay for the construction of around £2bn pa.
There were a variety of querstions which Jeremy either answered or took away to ask ministers etc. These included:
The Essential Hardship Scheme has no mention of distance from the route - this needs looking into.
The payback level falls well below the DFT's own requirements. It was originally forcast at 4:1, it currently is estimated at 1.9:1 and falling. No account in this estimate was taken for people working on the train which would reduce the figure even further.
Why should we individually have to cover the loss (15% or more) in value of our property for no benefit? The loss calculations are based upon a 1973 act which is not fit for purpose. This act needs to be repealled. France offers 120% of pre market value.
Staff CC has debated HS2 and has turned it down. They will help MPs to oppose it.
We need to know the ticket price of HS2 (Comment - my research shows that Stafford will get one HS train per hour. There is NO indication as to the slower 'Virgin' type trains running or even the even slower 'London Midland' types. You may well have to pay the premium price or not at all - is this an improvement?)
Eurostar - the government had to write off a large part of that construction costs to get it finished.
There was a final question regarding the ratable value of properties in the blighted area. Can we ask for a rate reduction? (comment - a mass action would certainly make them think)
This was a very informative and open meeting run by Stafford's local MP.
Monday 25 February 2013
Meeting 20 Feb 2013 Kings Bromley Stop HS2 Action Group
We went to the Kings Bromley Action Group meeting on Wednesday evening. About 70 peeople attended. Kings Bromley action group has been established for over two years now. Fighting the HS2 phase 1 which impacted on the parish and now phase 2. The meeting was a combination of te continuing phase 1 activities and the new phase 2.
Summerising the meeting which was not very complementry about HS2 Ltd as follows:
The Phase-1 bi-lateral meetings with HS2 Lts were bad. HS2 Ltd say they are listening but nithing happens. KB action group put forward suggestions to minimise the impact but HS2 Ltd did not want to know. HS2 Lts has misslead people in phase 1.
Land take for building work is well beyond the 60 - 120m mark. More land is needed for buildings, access and soil cleaning and storage. Extensive. Construction sites will be like quarries.
With regard to the parish council - all stop HS2 groups should join together. Property value will be down by 30%. Parish Councils should reflect the feelings of their constituants not their own line.
The County Council are against HS2 as are the LDC.
One instance where the line was moved 200m towards a property with no warning. The owners had 10 days notice prior tomthe closing date for consultation. There was no chance to assess let alone communicate with HS2 Ltd.
A judicial review over the line should have been published in December 2012. No news of the publication date yet.
KB action group asked for a special meeting with the Parish Council on 13 Feb 2013 to see what else they could do. Not all councillers were present, in fact only those sympathetic to stiopping HS2 were present. No progress was made. The PC are haviong an extraordinary meeting in March.
Staffordshire CC says it is making funds available to fight the cause. Contact your County counciller for details.
The HS2 land referencing form required by HS2 Ltd - it has been suggested that filling in this form may require some legal input and hence cost. It was recommended that nothing be done until HS2 Ltd give in writing that compensation for legal fees be reimbursed.
The parish Council need to decide if it is to pay for a leaflet and hire of the Village Hall for monthly meetings in 2013.
The NFU meeting iat Staffs Show Ground re phase 2 was not very good. Officials were not in favour of stopping HS2. The Farmers compensation scheme interest rate was said to be 1/2 % below the official base rate!!!!!
Comments as part of the meeting included that the Kings Bromley Action group had asked the local MP to talk to the meeting. The MP would only have 10 people in attendance, wanted all the questions in writing before hand and would only answer some of the written questions. I only report what was said.
Whittington action group is running a barn dance in Sat 2nd March to raise funds.
I may have missinterpreted some of the meeting as much was about the phase 1 activities which many of the audience were familiar with. However I think I gauged the tennor of the meeting and the action groups association with HS2 Lts, its Parish Council and its MP correctly.
Summerising the meeting which was not very complementry about HS2 Ltd as follows:
The Phase-1 bi-lateral meetings with HS2 Lts were bad. HS2 Ltd say they are listening but nithing happens. KB action group put forward suggestions to minimise the impact but HS2 Ltd did not want to know. HS2 Lts has misslead people in phase 1.
Land take for building work is well beyond the 60 - 120m mark. More land is needed for buildings, access and soil cleaning and storage. Extensive. Construction sites will be like quarries.
With regard to the parish council - all stop HS2 groups should join together. Property value will be down by 30%. Parish Councils should reflect the feelings of their constituants not their own line.
The County Council are against HS2 as are the LDC.
One instance where the line was moved 200m towards a property with no warning. The owners had 10 days notice prior tomthe closing date for consultation. There was no chance to assess let alone communicate with HS2 Ltd.
A judicial review over the line should have been published in December 2012. No news of the publication date yet.
KB action group asked for a special meeting with the Parish Council on 13 Feb 2013 to see what else they could do. Not all councillers were present, in fact only those sympathetic to stiopping HS2 were present. No progress was made. The PC are haviong an extraordinary meeting in March.
Staffordshire CC says it is making funds available to fight the cause. Contact your County counciller for details.
The HS2 land referencing form required by HS2 Ltd - it has been suggested that filling in this form may require some legal input and hence cost. It was recommended that nothing be done until HS2 Ltd give in writing that compensation for legal fees be reimbursed.
The parish Council need to decide if it is to pay for a leaflet and hire of the Village Hall for monthly meetings in 2013.
The NFU meeting iat Staffs Show Ground re phase 2 was not very good. Officials were not in favour of stopping HS2. The Farmers compensation scheme interest rate was said to be 1/2 % below the official base rate!!!!!
Comments as part of the meeting included that the Kings Bromley Action group had asked the local MP to talk to the meeting. The MP would only have 10 people in attendance, wanted all the questions in writing before hand and would only answer some of the written questions. I only report what was said.
Whittington action group is running a barn dance in Sat 2nd March to raise funds.
I may have missinterpreted some of the meeting as much was about the phase 1 activities which many of the audience were familiar with. However I think I gauged the tennor of the meeting and the action groups association with HS2 Lts, its Parish Council and its MP correctly.
Thursday 14 February 2013
Meeting 8th Feb 2013
The meeting on Friday night (8th Feb 2013) about HS2 was well
attended by Colton parishoners and people from nearby parishes. The
village hall was packed. The speaker Rolfe Pearce, from Colwich, gave
an indication as to what the problems are and what should be undertaken.
It is vital that we all need to act if we are to stop the development of HS2. For example the government, or HS2 Ltd, has circulated no information and given little time for consultation over the exceptional hardship scheme. The deadline for consultation is April 29th 2013. The scheme is totally inadequate.
The web site http://staffsagainsths2.blogspot.com gives valuable information as to how to proceed.
It is vital that all are kept informed and the web is the only vehicle available for rapid communication. Please feel free to print out information and circulate to neigbhours who are unsure or do not have the technology.
We need to start acting in the next few weeks in order to make our voice heard.
The only way of stopping HS2 is to show that it is not economically viable. This starts with bombarding them with sensible questions which they must find time to answer.
Peter David Leech has started an email petition about stopping HS2. It needs your signiture so that we can send an initial message. The site address is
http://epetitions.direct.gov.uk/petitions/45347 Click this and sign. Get others to do so as well.
It is vital that we all need to act if we are to stop the development of HS2. For example the government, or HS2 Ltd, has circulated no information and given little time for consultation over the exceptional hardship scheme. The deadline for consultation is April 29th 2013. The scheme is totally inadequate.
The web site http://staffsagainsths2.blogspot.com gives valuable information as to how to proceed.
- Go to this site to find out information and make your comments.
- Tell your friends and neighbhours about it and keep them informed.
- Write or email to HS2 Ltd about the exceptional hardship scheme as suggested on the staffsagainsths2 site and ask further questions.
- Write or email to HS2 Ltd for an information pack.
- There is a strict sequence of actions you need to undertake in order to comply with this hardship scheme, start it by enquiring.
- Collect information prior to communicating with HS2.
- If you get interesting responses from HS2 Ltd share them with others on the staffsagainsths2 blog site.
It is vital that all are kept informed and the web is the only vehicle available for rapid communication. Please feel free to print out information and circulate to neigbhours who are unsure or do not have the technology.
We need to start acting in the next few weeks in order to make our voice heard.
The only way of stopping HS2 is to show that it is not economically viable. This starts with bombarding them with sensible questions which they must find time to answer.
Peter David Leech has started an email petition about stopping HS2. It needs your signiture so that we can send an initial message. The site address is
http://epetitions.direct.gov.uk/petitions/45347 Click this and sign. Get others to do so as well.
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