HS2 scheme discussed at Aylesbury summit (From Bucks Free Press)

HS2 scheme discussed at Aylesbury summit

5:09pm Friday 18th June 2010 in

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A HIGH speed railway line planned to go through Buckinghamshire is “unaffordable” and “wouldn't make a profit”, it was claimed today.

Campaigners and councillors came together to discuss the controversial High Speed 2 project, which would cut through the Chilterns Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and tunnel underneath Amersham and the Chalfonts if given the go-ahead, at a summit at Aylesbury Vale District Council this morning.

And the Speaker of the House of Commons, John Bercow MP, vowed he would raise the concerns of residents with Philip Hammond, the new Secretary of State for transport.

Among the speakers at today's summit meeting was railway expert Christian Wolmar, who questioned the financial viability of the project.

He made the conclusions after looking at the impact the High Speed 1 route, which connects London to the Channel Tunnel, had made on Kent.

Mr Wolmar said: “High Speed 1 was built for political reasons because President Mitterand said how slow the train was between the Channel Tunnel and London.

“They realised High Speed 1 couldn't be built just by running a few trains to Paris and Brussels. They put up Kent commuter services running four times an hour as a way of regeneration and to justify the economic viability.

“In this country we try to build the infrastructure, then find a use for it.

“It would be used if it was built, but in terms of economics it wouldn't make a profit.”

He was responding to a remark from Patricia Birchley, Bucks County Councillor for Chiltern Ridges, who said she was worried the High Speed 2 project would become a “white elephant”.

She also questioned whether the existing infrastructure in London would be able to cope with the demand of taking 32,000 passengers who would arrive in the capital every hour if every train planned to run on the line was filled to capacity.

Speaker of the House of Commons John Bercow, who is also MP for Buckingham, said the scheme was “irresponsible and should be rejected” because of the “appalling state” of public finances, adding it was “unaffordable”.

He said: “I can't promise I can get this reversed, but I can promise to do my level best.

"Just try and stop me.

“I will get to meet Philip Hammond in the Speaker's House and register my concerns, and your concerns.”

The Speaker added fellow Bucks MPs Cheryl Gillan, Dominic Grieve and David Lidington were “in an excellent position to secure access to Philip Hammond” as members of the government.

He said: “We need to see Philip Hammond and it will happen.”

Wycombe MP Steve Baker also backed the campaign against the project.

He said: “I will stand up for you on HS2 and will help my colleagues do so.”

Bucks County Council's chief executive, Chris Williams, said nobody from HS2 Ltd or the Department for Transport had been able to attend.

Non-executive chairman Sir Brian Briscoe had been due to come but was unable due to illness, but Mr Williams added other officials had declined to attend “under instruction”.

He said HS2 had so far not been given any new remit by the new coalition government, with the preferred route through the Chilterns AONB being announced under the previous Labour regime.

Mr Williams said: “This has inevitably meant the formal consultation starting this autumn is unlikely to take place before the spring of next year.

“We have written to Philip Hammond looking for further information, particularly around the business case. The information in the public domain so far in wholly inadequate.”