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Stewart Lilly, an Oxfordshire-based agent,


agrees. “I imagine Brunel [Isambard Kingdom Brunel, the engineer behind the first British train line, the Great Western Railway] turning in his grave with disbelief. If you look at the prosperity of the country over history, it's all due to the expansion of the railway.” Lilly believes that a lot of people are


misreading the proposed rail strategy, and mistakenly focusing on the short-term disruption it will create, rather than at the wider economic benefits government and its supporters expect it to bring. “It's sad to say that there's a lot of Nimbyism and selfishness involved in the opposition.” Nevertheless, he accepts that the


government could improve the way in which it is marketing the benefits of HS2, arguing that more could be done to promote its merits. He adds, “I also feel sorry for Bucks rate payers, who are paying taxes to HM Revenue & Customs for research and Buckinghamshire County Council, which has decided to pay £1.5m to fight it legally. People are paying both ways.” The current HS2 proposal, the latest of


many, will see the line run west, underground from a refurbished Euston to Paddington, then up and parallel with the Chiltern Main Line on a four kilometre viaduct. It will then parallel with the London to Aylesbury Line, through 47 miles of the Chiltern Hills, to Aylesbury, running to the


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“I imagine Brunel turning in his grave with disbelief. If you look at the prosperity of the country over history, it’s all due to the


expansion of the railway” Stewart Lilly, director of Lilly Associates


North West through Oxfordshire, South Northamptonshire and Warwickshire and Staffordshire before arriving at a new station near the NEC in Birmingham. Assuming the current route is


Safeguarded – yes, it could still change – the historic town of Aylesbury in Buckinghamshire looks set to be one of the most heavily impacted towns on the route. Aylesbury is steeped in history, having been instrumental in the English Civil War in the seventeenth Century, notable for its lace-making and coaching status, being located on several routes out of London, a benefit not overlooked by creators of the HS2 line. Steve Rodrick, chief officer of the


Chilterns Conservation Board, says, “In terms of the overall property market, it is undermining confidence. The line is expected to start in 2027, which given the age profile of local homeowners, is a life


sentence. They must think that nobody loves them; the government doesn't want to know, banks don't want to know. It's very hard for those in limbo.” Rodrick believes that there will


consequently be a process of general decline in the quality of the surrounding area. “Why, as a farmer, would you care about the state of the land if it is being demolished?” He adds, “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.” A local agent agrees, “They are not happy


bunnies about it, owners and agents. We've had people in tears. They've had two years of waiting and messing about during the consultation stage, which is insane. Fourteen years in the making is going to have a massive impact on the community.”


TheNegotiator l March 2012 l 19


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