This week, Aylesbury MP Rob Butler writes exclusively to BFP readers:

Week after week I have complaints from residents and businesses about the unnecessary harm and environmental devastation being caused by the construction of HS2, which will bring zero benefits to Buckinghamshire.

Ever since his appointment last year, I have been determined to show the HS2 minister, Andrew Stephenson, the realities of life with this unwanted railway in person and at the places most affected.

The opportunity to do so finally came a week ago, when I was able to highlight how HS2’s lack of consistency and communication has real-world implications for decent, hard-working local people who are just trying to get on with their lives.

First I took him to a farm that is typical of many locally, where the owners have suffered delayed compensation, broken promises and poor communication from HS2 Ltd and its contractors.

Bucks Council's cabinet member for transport, Steven Broadbent, then joined us to explain the chaos being caused on local roads by HS2 construction traffic.

In Wendover, I showed the minister the site of the Small Dean Viaduct, outlining the blight the construction will cause. Cllrs Peter Strachan and Richard Newcombe emphasised the massive benefits a bored mined tunnel would bring to the village.

I also ensured that the minister sat down with the chairs of Wendover Parish Council and Wendover HS2 Action Group, so that at last they could have the chance to tell the minister face to face about the huge difficulties of getting responses to their proposals for the tunnel and the urgent need for far better mitigation for local residents.

I am grateful to the minister for taking the time to talk to local people and hope he will bear their plight in mind in the months and years ahead.

The message to him was simple and unanimous – we must have better mitigation from the noise, the traffic disruption and the environmental harm being done by HS2; HS2 Ltd says it wants to be a good neighbour – those words must be matched with action.