HS2

This section contains the latest HS2 news and events, which affects Hyde Heath.

The Government has announced adoption of an extended HS2 tunnel proposal known as C6, which is a scheme proposed by HS2, as a shorter alternative to the C5 proposal by REPA. This tunnel proposal will extend the tunnel beyond Mantles Wood to a new tunnel Portal adjacent Bury Farm on the Western Edge of South Heath. The net effect of this tunnel proposal is to remove a considerable amount of the blight and construction impacts the previous scheme would have produced. The Hyde Heath Road will no longer be a construction traffic route and work camps will no longer be situated adjacent Mantles Woods. Additionally, as the tunnel is extended, the line will stay underground ensuring less disruption to the B485 Great Missenden to Chesham road. There will be a new vent shaft, next to Chesham side of Annie Baileys.

Details of the scheme as proposed by HS2 is contained in:

https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/442549/C222-ATK-TN-REP-020-000015_HS2.pdf

The description of the proposal is in section 6.7 on page 21 (18, in the document). The maps for the proposed scheme are on pages 67 to 75.

While this is positive news for Hyde Heath, Hyde End and parts of South Heath there will remain significant impacts on the Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty together with construction impacts related to traffic, noise, dust etc. The Village Society are pleased that the efforts of the Society together with our neighbouring villages have resonated with the HS2 Select Committee of MPs, however, we continue to work hard and press the MPs for even greater mitigation, in the form of a long tunnel for the AONB, to alleviate the impact on this precious landscape.  

As regards petitions, the C6 proposal is not the subject of the current round of petitions, so should be ignored for now. HS2 Ltd will issue a new Environmental Impact Statement for the extended tunnel, this statement will be consulted upon then an Additional Provision will be introduced to the Bill at which point anyone directly or specifically affected by the new proposal will be given the chance to petition the new impacts.      

Meantime, the HHVS petition is due to be heard on the 22nd September therefore we are currently engaged in responding to the 124 page petition response document provided by HS2 Ltd together with the extensive HS2 evidence pack issued by HS2 Ltd as reference material. We are also gathering the petition evidence ready for submission on Friday 18th September. 

Hyde Heath Village Society has submitted a formal response to the HS2 Final Environmental Statement. This has been a massive undertaking by several members of the society. Over 55,000 pages have been analysed and the HHVS's response has amounted to a huge 354 page document.

This formal response is by no means the end of the process. The submission was a required precursor to the HS2 petitioning process. Having lodged our response, we are now beginning the process of petitioning.

We will be producing a summary of this document, for posting on this site in the near future. However the priority for the team is to begin the petitioning process. The full document can be made available on request.

Anyone wishing to get involved and would like to help out, in any small or large way, can contact us via the contact page.

For the second time in a week people have been given more time to respond to a consultation on the environmental impact of HS2.

Following a ruling of a House of Lords committee, the deadline for responses was yesterday extended to 11.59pm on February 27.

The extension came a week after a committee of MPs has ruled that the current consultation surrounding Phase 1 of the HS2 route must be extended until 10th February 2014, following a failure of the bill to comply with parliamentary standing orders. The consultation, which consisted of over 50,000 pages had been due to conclude on 24th January. The decision comes as a result of HS2 Ltd missing off a total of 877 pages from online and memory stick versions of the consultation documents.

The extension to the consultation will mean that the second reading of the Hybrid Bill is unlikely to happen before Easter

In June last year, Parliamentary procedures where changed to allow the consultation to be distributed on memory stick, but pages were missing from these, along with the online version of documents. When Patrick McLoughlin wrote to MPs informing them of the error on 16th December, he stated “Most corrections relate to just one page, but a slightly greater number were omitted from a number of the Cultural Heritage reports and the Land Quality reports.”, However, a document attached to the updated memory sticks received by MPs on January 2nd clearly states that 877 pages had been missed off from the earlier versions.

However, it transpired that a total of 877 pages had been omitted, concerning: Cultural Heritage Survey Reports; Community Map books; Planning Data; Land Quality; Construction assessment – Sound, noise and vibration; Landscape & visual assessment; Waste & material resources assessment; Cultural Heritage – Gazeteer of heritage assets; Agriculture, forestry and soils; and a Transport Assessment Annex of Baseline survey reports.

These omissions covered 17 Parliamentary constituencies, and while updated memory sticks were available on January 2nd 2014 within Parliament, they were not immediately available at libraries along the route. This was in complete contradiction to claims from HS2 Ltd that all errors were corrected by December 16th 2013.

To highlight just how poorly HS2 Ltd have performed, the meeting today of the Standing Orders Committee, called after a Parliamentary group known as ‘The Examiners’ had found breaches in Standing Orders, was the first such meeting since 2008. Today, officials from HS2 Ltd tried to downplay the errors in the consultation documents, but even the documents they had presented to the committee of MPs contained errors themselves, and when it was claimed that it wasn’t though that the lack of missing pages had any effect on the ability of people to respond, Charles Walker MP replied “You would think that, wouldn’t you?”

HS2 Ltd representatives went on to plead that the deadline for consultation responses should not be extended as it would delay the second reading of the bill, before going on the use excuses such as:

“We hope you will agree the data is somewhere else in the documents, or is unimportant.” and “This information is missing, it’s not hiding.”

While one instance of missing data had to be pointed out to HS2 Ltd by the Coal Authority, the quango tried to defend another piece of missing information by saying that only the Oxfordshire County Archaeologist has spotted it was missing and would like to see some maps, to which Mr Walker quipped “Maybe because the other people are still looking for it?”

HOW TO RESPOND TO THE ES DOCUMENT

Aside from our celebrity HS2 television appearances, The Hyde Heath Village Society have been working very steadily over Christmas and New Year to provide a detailed response to the Final Environmental Statement – we are indeed reading 50,000 pages (only another 15,000 to go!).

This response is necessary to ensure the Village Society can petition to the HS2 Hybrid Bill*.

Petitioning is likely to commence sometime after May 2014 and we must be prepared.**

Many of your fellow village members have been working extremely hard on an Environmental Statement [ES] response to ensure we protect our schools and community institutions, keep our roads safe and protect, as far as possible, our countryside and way of life.

You can help also, anyone affected by HS2 (ie. anyone within Hyde Heath or wider area) can petition Parliament. Members of HHVS will be on hand to assist you with your petition should you choose to have your “day in Court”. Meantime, the starting point is to make a response to the ES to allow you to have grounds for a petition.

HHVS will produce in the next 10 days a summary guide to points you may wish to petition on – we will issue it as a leaflet and online. Meantime, Great Missenden Stop HS2 Action Group has already agreed how the local action groups in the Central Chilterns Community Forum area will be responding to the ES - HHVS have provided input in all meetings. They are planning to discuss their conclusions at an open area meeting:

“Responding to the HS2 Final Environmental Statement”

Great Missenden Memorial Hall

at 5pm on Sunday 12th January 2014

The more responses submitted, the stronger the message will be on the unsuitability of HS2 and the extension of the tunnel as the only acceptable form of mitigation in the Central Chilterns.

A final thought, some people think HS2 is inevitable. Some people are getting tired of the endless documents and consultations. That is precisely the aim of the Hs2 Company, to wear us down and make us give up! To give you hope, during the petitioning process, substantial sections of the HS1 route through Kent were moved. YOU HAVE TO BE IN IT TO WIN IT! See you all on the 12th and/or look out for our summary leaflet on how Hyde Heath folk should respond to the ES.

Wishing you all a fantastic 2014!

* The High Speed Rail (London – West Midlands) Bill has been designated as a hybrid bill. ** Following Second Reading, hybrid bills are committed to a select committee to allow those affected by the Bill to petition against aspects of the Bill to which they object.

There will be a meeting held, regarding “Responding to the HS2 Final Environmental Statement” at the Great Missenden Memorial Hall at 5pm on Sunday 12th January 2014 and all villagers are welcome to attend.

Originally, we had planned to hold our own event in Hyde Heath, but given the number of other events going on, and the availability of key speakers, we have instead decided to combine our meeting with an event already being held at Great Missenden.

The Government have now launched the Final Environmental statement. While it is a daunting 50,000 pages, HHVS encourage you to take the time to read the sections of the document that apply to Hyde Heath and the immediate area. All documents can be downloaded online at the following location -

https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/hs2-phase-one-environmental-statement-documents

A good starting point is the Non Technical Summary. Hyde Heath is contained in the section known as the "Central Chilterns" and referred to on Maps as CFA9. The Volume 2: Area Reports contain links to the maps and local area reports. The links for Hyde Heath related documents are: CFA9 - Central Chilterns Area Report and CFA9 - Central Chilterns Map Book

There is also a guide to the Final ES and how it breaks down, how you can respond and the fact you must have your deadline responses in by 24th January 2014. Contained here -

https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/260887/understanding-the-environmental-statement.pdf

While the contents are daunting, HHVS are undertaking substantial work on getting to grips with the document and understanding its content and what it means for the residents of Hyde Heath. We will be running drop in clincs early in the New Year to explain matters in more detail and how people can respond to the consultation.

Meanwhile, printed copies of all the information and maps are available at the following locations in the district -

1. Chiltern District Council, King George V House, King George V Road, Amersham, Buckinghamshire, HP6 5AW

2. Little Missenden Parish Council, 38 New Pond Road, Holmer Green, Buckinghamshire, HP15 6SU

3. Great Missenden Parish Council, Memorial Centre, Buryfield, Link Road, Great Missenden, Buckinghamshire, HP16 9AE

4. The Lee Parish Council, 40 Waivers Way, Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire, HP21 9SQ

5. Amersham Library, Chiltern Avenue, Amersham, Buckinghamshire, HP6 5AH

Its important we all make an effort to read and make some form of response to this document. HHVS will be doing this in detail, but we encourage residents to make their own response, no matter how long or short, they all count.  

HS2 Compensation Meeting

Village Hall

 The Court of Appeal ruled that the previous Consultation was so unfair as to be illegal. The new consultation contains proposals for a property bond but as currently proposed it is heavily restricted. The hardship rules applied by HS2 seek to prevent Hyde Heath from receiving compensation in the event we are blighted by HS2.

The government are re-running the consultation. YOUR PREVIOUS RESPONSE DOES NOT COUNT ANYMORE. New responses must be in by 4th December 2013. Anyone above Age 16 can respond. Each of your relatives and friends, even if they are unaffected by the line, can respond so spread the word.

Ideally a personal written response is best, but there are other ways to respond.

The Society have organised 2 meetings at the Village Hall to assist responding in more detail. Please make an effort to attend either of these meetings:

Sunday 24th November 2013 starting 4pm

Thursday 28th November 2013 starting 8pm

The meetings will provide HS2 updates, HS2 next steps and focus on the compensation package as proposed, how we can change the government’s proposal, how to respond and how you can help.

If you cannot attend then please go to www.hhvs.org.uk for further information on responding.

Alternatively, fill out and send one of the attached FREEPOST cards - more can be found at the village shop. We are aiming for 99% of the village to respond to this consultation for the sake of everyone in Hyde Heath.

You should respond regardless of whether you are affected or whether you agree with the proposal.

 

We do not know our future. This is our last chance to get rules in place that will care for everyone in the village for the next 20 years.

Responding to HS2 Compensation Consultation

Deadline 4th December 2013

The Court of Appeal ruled that the previous Consultation was so unfair as to be illegal. The new consultation contains proposals for a property bond but as currently proposed it is heavily restricted. The hardship rules applied by HS2 seek to prevent Hyde Heath from receiving compensation in the event we are blighted by HS2. We know that the government are under increasing pressure to submit to a property bond and your response will force them to do this. Since the last consultation, the press, the Treasury Select Committee, The Public Accounts Committee, National Audit Office, Major Projects Committee have all been very critical of the HS2 business case, as have many expert academics and business organisations. We are receiving excellent publicity and we must keep the pressure on. Responding on the Compensation Consultation will do just that. Last time 30,000 responses were obtained, this time we are aiming for 100,000 and we want the people of Hyde Heath to play their part in doing so.

The government are re-running the consultation. YOUR PREVIOUS RESPONSE DOES NOT COUNT ANYMORE. New responses must be in by 4th December 2013. Anyone above Age 16 can respond. You can send 1 response per person. Each of your relatives and friends, even if they are unaffected by the line can respond so call them, explain the compensation consultation and ask if they agree and will allow you to submit a postcard on their behalf.

Ideally a personal written response is best. If you cannot, then Postcards have been provided with the leaflet drop. If you need more, they are available at the Village Shop.

The Society have organised 2 meetings at the Village Hall to assist people to respond in more detail or collect more Postcards or catch up with HS2 news and updates. Please make an effort to attend either of these meetings:

Sunday 24th November 2013 starting 4pm

Thursday 28th November 2013 starting 8pm

We are aiming for 99% of the village to respond to this consultation for the sake of everyone in Hyde Heath.

The attached document from HS2AA provides more information on how to make a more personal response.

E-mail comments direct to 2013hs2propertyconsultation@dialoguebydesign.com

More information on their website at https://2013hs2propertyconsultation.dialoguebydesign.net/

Or draft a letter and freepost to FREEPOST RTET-YGJB-GUAH, PROPERTY COMPENSATION CONSULTATION 2013, PO Box 70178, LONDON, WC1A 9HS

We do not know our future. This is our last chance to get rules in place that will care for everyone in the village for the next 20 years.

In addition to individual responses, Hyde Heath Village Society made the following official response to the Draft Environmental Statement.

Click the following link to read the official response: 

Hyde Heath Village Society's Response to the Draft Environmental Statement

On 8th July 2013, Hyde Heath Village Society held an open evening in the village hall, where we showed copies of the draft environmental statement which has maps of the HS2 work site at Mantles Wood and the entire ancillary working showing the drainage ponds, the huge bunds, the changes to road layouts etc.

We will also show our mitigations proposals and the two other road proposals rather than upgrading the Hyde Heath road.

Our goal is to keep the construction traffic away from Hyde Heath and reduce the noise levels.

This was extremely well attended event, and Hyde Heath Village Society would like to thank all those who found the time to join us.