HS2 Given the Go Ahead...but with a Ruislip Tunnel!
The decision to proceed with HS2 with extra tunnels, including one from Northolt to West Ruislip, was announced on 10 January 2012. We have not yet had time to study the changes in any great detail. We do know that there will now be a 2.75 mile (4km) tunnel for most of the route through Ruislip, which appears from studying the maps to start at Northolt, before South Ruislip Station, and to end beyond West Ruislip Station. This tunnel will be a welcome reprieve for many concerned residents and businesses in that area, though land for tunnel vents will still be needed, and there are concerns about possible vibration or subsidence if any houses are above or near the tunnel. Unfortunately it looks like the plan remains to build a rail viaduct over / through Hillingdon Outdoor Activities Centre.
At the moment only Phase One, the London to Birmingham part of the route, is being planned to be built, with a spur route to Heathrow being included in the future consultation for Phase Two, where the route would continue north of Birmingham in a Y shape up to Manchester and Leeds. Phase One still has to be agreed in Parliament by way of a Hybrid Bill before the many years of construction and disruption would start. There is already talk of more petitioning, and a possible judicial review, by various opponents to the scheme. If the project does run according to the proposed government timescale then the London to Birmingham stretch of the line would be ready for passenger trains running by 2026.Whilst the consultation period for Phase One closed last July, lobbying by groups both for and against the HS2 project continued unabated throughout the autumn and winter of 2011. In October the Transport Select Committee published their report on HS2.
Hillingdon and Ruislip Against HS2 visited number 10 Downing Street to submit their petition of over 108,000 signatures. Many other organisations also submitted petitions.
A lively parliamentary debate took place on the 13th October in the House of Commons, and in November MPs Nick Hurd and John Randall accompanied four Hillingdon Children from Ruislip when they submitted their Children’s Petition to Number 10 Downing Street. During that month Justine Greening, the Secretary of State for Transport, met with MPs to discuss HS2, and there was also a Lobby Day for all interested parties including MPs, action groups and members of the public.HS2 Ltd has stated that a consultation regarding blight will take place “during Spring 2012”. It has also said it will be consulting with community groups along the route, and will set up community forums, planning forums and an environment forum. Once we have more details about these we will let you know.
Our HS2 Working Group, which is open to any RRA member, is being asked to consider the Government’s decision in detail, so that it can advise our Executive how to move forward in response to the decision.
The written statement by Justine Greening, the Secretary of State for Transport, released on 10 January 2012, can be found here. On the Department for Transport website you will be able to find all the revised maps of the whole route, showing where the extra tunnels will be, as well as proposed new bridges and road diversions.
