HS2 stocktake

I invited representatives from local HS2 campaign groups, local councils and the Chilterns Conservation Board to a meeting on Friday evening to take stock of where we were nearly three weeks on from the Secretary of State’s announcement. It was a good chance to swap notes both about the revised HS2 business case that had been published by the DfT last month and some of the practical issues about compensation and environmental mitigation that many constituents have been writing to me about since Ms Greening’s decision. I’m going to carry on representing the views of my constituents against the scheme but at the same time I’m going to raise detailed questions about blight, compensation, noise and visual intrusion. I have a meeting arranged soon with the Chief Engineer of HS2 Ltd which will give me a chance to talk through some of those detailed concerns that constituents are raising with me.