TheFeature
HS2 – uniting kingdom Brunel
High Speed Two is in the pipeline and expected to cause devastation for hundreds of homeowners. Clare Bettelley outlines the proposed route and talks to aff ected agents about the possible impact.
T
he prospect of a high speed railway link from London to Birmingham has been as well received by aff ected
parties as the 3-2 win to Arsenal was to Aston Villa fans at the Gunners' Emirates Stadium last month. From the outset of government announcing the proposed High Speed rail link (HS2) in 2009, a number of groups have formed to lobby against its construction, claiming a list of devastating impacts, including the loss of hundreds of homes and woodlands, and the consequent damage to local communities. Claims by the conservation charity, The
Woodland Trust, that HS2 will result in the loss of a minimum of 21 ancient woodlands and a possible further 27 ancient woods may be of little significance to the average city dweller. However, for those who have relocated to the leafy regions of, for example, the Chilterns, which is expected to be severely hit by HS2, this is a major blow to their living conditions and, arguably, their general wellbeing – losses beyond the reach of any government compensation scheme, whatever its shape. Such losses also pose a major blow for a
number local agents, for whom the tranquil countryside has until now been at the heart of their marketing proposition. Moreover, firms in affected towns and villages have been caught in the middle of the battle for
transport progress, left to address concerns from house buyers and sellers about the possible impact of the line and its construction, particularly in terms of local property prices. Government defends its corner by arguing
that HS2 is crucial for the future economic development of the UK. At a recent conference, Secretary of State for Transport, Justine Greening, said, “This is the most important transport infrastructure project since the building of the motorways. We in Britain can’t simply wait and hope for a better, more successful future – we need to build it.”
She adds: “We have a rail network that will
simply end up full in places if we don’t take action. People say ‘put more trains on the track’, but that’s what we’ve been doing. Common sense tells you we can’t do this forever. And after 110 years we have nearly got to the end of ‘forever’.”
THE PLAN
High Speed rail is not a new concept for Europe, with high speed trains having run across the mainland in the West for over 20 years. The previous Labour government kicked off the UK's High Speed rail strategy with the opening of the 67-mile High Speed One link, better known as the Channel Tunnel, in 2007, connecting London with the Continent. However, Great Britain is still
“The disruption goes on for the best part of 10 years, during which time people will be getting enormous work camps, possibly one mile square, with lighting and materials, transforming the place from a
rural haven into an industrial yard.” Steve Rodrick, chief offi cer for the Chilterns Conservation Board
18 ● March 2012 ● TheNegotiator
playing catch-up with much of Europe, hence its HS2 proposal, which aims to build upon HS1 and offer commuters an extended speedy and energy-efficient mode of transport in the process. HS2 journey times between London and Birmingham are expected to total 45 minutes, down from the current fastest journey time of one hour and 24 minutes. HS2 is to be delivered by High Speed Two
Limited, a company created by Labour in 2009. It is divided into two phases: phase one proposes to create a direct service between London Euston and Birmingham, with no intermediary stops in between, while phase two expects to see expansion of the line into Leeds and Manchester, with the long-term plan to extend the line up to Scotland. Up to 14 trains measuring up to 400
metres and powered by electric overhead cables are planned to run per hour, carrying up to 1,100 people. The trains are expected to travel at up to 225 miles per hour by 2020. Construction for the line is expected to start in the next few years, once the currently proposed route is 'Safeguarded', which involves confirming and protecting boundaries around land needed for the creation of HS2. This is expected to happen on April 10 2012, assuming the government honours its pledge of a three-month consultation period with local planning authorities, from the point at which it gave HS2 the green light on January 10 2012. The line is scheduled to open in 2026.
THE IMPACT James del Mar, head of Knight Frank’s HS2 team, estimates that 400 homes will need to be demolished and 250 farms will need to be split to create the line. Nevertheless, the government argues that these casualties are justified in view of the wider economic prosperity to be created in the form of over 40,000 of jobs and a stronger rail connection to Europe.
www.the-negotiator.co.uk
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