Amersham Newsletter - January 2015

Dear Supporter

Thank you and Happy New Year!  2015 will be a key year in the battle against HS2.  After a very brief Christmas lull, it’s back to business for the campaign.  There’s a lot going on.  As demonstrated by the article and poll in the Mirror, the controversy surrounding HS2 is very much alive. The Institute of Economic Affairs puts the likely final cost of HS2 at £80 billion (£1,250 for every single UK citizen) and the Public Accounts Committee is now re-sounding the alarm bells.  With the general election looming, HS2AA and the Action Groups will step up the pressure to keep HS2 in the national and local news.

Petitioning Rolls On
In May 2014, the High Speed Rail Bill Select Committee (SC) began the lengthy process of addressing the 1,925 petitions submitted to amend the bill.  Action Groups and individuals who opted to do so have been engaged in preparing evidence to present to the committee when invited to appear.  For AGs in particular, this is proving a time-consuming task.  Petitions are being taken in north – south progression, with Warwickshire petitions scheduled for the rest of January.  It is therefore highly unlikely that petitioners in the Chilterns will be called before the election.  We will alert you as soon as we hear more on this.   

Members of the SC (together with officials of HS2 Ltd) have also been paying ‘fact-finding’ site visits along the route – in which local action groups have been involved.  They are getting closer: on Thursday they spent a derisory half-day in Denham and the Colne Valley, the area threatened with a huge construction camp and a viaduct across the lakes.   We await information on site visits to the Chilterns.  In the meantime, further visits to the Colne Valley have been requested.

 

The Select Committee at Hillingdon Outdoor Activity Centre

Calling all members of the 200 Club
In this crucial year for the campaign, we will soon be inviting you to renew your membership of the Amersham HS2 200 Club.  Money raised by the club has helped to fund the national campaign presence at the political party conferences, research, local signage, social media and other activities – and there is still more to be done.   As always, sincere thanks go to everyone who makes this possible.  Lucky winners of the 200 Club monthly draw are posted here.  The final draw for the current year takes place in March: Chris Wilson will be in touch before then with renewal details.