I HAVE been following the High Speed 2 rail link debate with great interest and have come to the conclusion that we are completely missing the point. Quoting the Secretary of State for Transport: “The Government is committed to the establishment of a high speed rail network” – so the decision has already been made.

The European Community is committed to high-speed rail transport throughout Europe. All our efforts to stop it are wasted. What we should be concentrating our efforts on is which bit of our countryside we’ve got to give up.

All this antagonism only irritates Government and we know what happens then. Just look at the Newbury Bypass: direct action by people directed at ‘stopping the scheme’ instead of getting the right route for the community and the environment and what happens – a route was imposed leaving behind so much bitterness.

Transport Secretary Mr Hammond’s recent comments about NIMBYs shows that Government is already getting entrenched, growing acrimony, US and THEM. Where is all the creative, constructive consultation and deliberation?

We in rural Britain are not important to Government. The vast majority of voters live in cities. We are just the bit in-between. So what is another gash through that bit in-between to them?

I know HS2 isn’t what we want. I know it will only benefit a few of us.

The gash in our countryside, compulsory purchase, loss of our peace and quiet, extra pollution, ten years of disruption, tens of thousands of vehicle movements, increased danger to our motorists, cyclists, horseriders and walkers and the inevitable toll that will have on those people affected.

It’s going to happen. If, at the end of the day, we can at least say that the best, the most sympathetic, not necessarily the easiest or cheapest solution was achieved, then that will be a true victory.

Leslie J White, Church Path, Prestwood.