THERE has been an enthusiastic welcome for the transport secretary's announcement about the route of HS2 between London and Birmingham, which includes a major interchange at Old Oak Common. But opponents to the scheme are continuing to protest.
The government has conceded that some property values will affected, although there has been a rethink since the original announcement was made by the previous government in March.
The network will be developed in two main phases. The first will be London-Birmingham-Lichfield plus a link to HS1, and the second will not only include the arms of the ‘Y’ to reach Manchester and Leeds, but also a spur to Heathrow Airport.
Some High Speed trains would continue on the conventional lines to Scotland, bringing the Glasgow-London journey time down to 3h30.
The projected journey time from London to Birmingham will be 49min – or less for non-stopping trains.
Through trains from the provinces to the continent will be able to run via the HS1 link, which will be via a new tunnel from Old Oak Common to the North London line near Chalk Farm, from where ‘existing infrastructure’ would be used to reach HS1 north of St Pancras.
The announcement did not mention possible issues of structure gauge enlargement which would appear to be needed to allow full-size trains, including double-deckers, to use such an HS2-HS1 link.
Philip Hammond told the Commons that apart from the major interchange at Old Oak Common, which will provide a direct connection with Crossrail so that High Speed passengers can easily reach central London – or Heathrow Airport before the spur is built – parts of the route through sensitive areas will be shielded.
He said: “For instance, in Primrose Hill, work to identify the most appropriate locations for the necessary vent shafts has shifted the proposed tunnel, and thus also the vent shafts themselves, to the north, away from the most sensitive areas of this part of London, locating them alongside the existing railway.
“Between Amersham and Wendover, opportunities to cover section of the proposed cutting to create a ‘green bridge’ and longer ‘green tunnel’ have been incorporated into the route design to reduce its visual impact and avoid severance of public rights of way.
“At Hartwell House, by moving the alignment away from this historic property, HS2 Ltd have been able to ensure that the line would not be visible from the House itself and that additional earthworks and planting can be undertaken to further reduce visual and noise impacts.
“And in the most northerly section of the route, an improved alignment has been identified which would move the line further from Lichfield.”
He also had some words of comfort for property owners: “Where a project which is in the national interest imposes significant financial loss on individuals, I believe it is right and proper that they should be compensated fairly for that loss. So I have asked my officials to prepare a range of options for a scheme to assist those whose properties would not be required for the construction of the railway, but who would nonetheless see a significant diminution of value.”
However, one objector living near Banbury told the BBC: “I'm in a hamlet of five and its planning to come straight through us, taking out the other four houses. It's going at roof level above our house so we'll be there with it about 50m away from our bedroom window if it does come through.
“It's a fantastic community and I'll have that taken away - my friends, my neighbours, my community, the house where I was planning on spending the rest of my life.”
With the detailed reports from HS2 Ltd having now been made public, the next step will be a major consultation, starting in the New Year.