Bucks and Chiltern District Council join 11 other councils to oppose High Speed 2

Buckinghamshire County Council and Chiltern District Council have joined eleven other councils to actively oppose the HS2 scheme.

In the run up to the public consultation which has recently been announced, each council has 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.”

Numerous other councils have expressed a desire to join the opposition and are awaiting approval from their cabinets. Some have contibuted money to a 'fight fund' - the spending of which which will be highly regulated.

Do you think this uproar by the councils will have an influence on the public opinion as a proof that the full proposal does not make economic or environmental sense? Or are you still in agreement with the scheme? Tell us why by posting your response below.