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Letter: Campaigners criticise Lib Dems' support of HS2
Letter from Alex Nieora, Perivale resident campaigning against the High Speed Two
Dear Councillor Gary Malcolm,
In your column (Gazette website, January 23) you write: "when it comes to HS2, Crossrail, or stopping Heathrow expansion, we are in favour" - you seem to be putting all three in the same basket.
Crossrail is supported by all London councils, it passes through because it benefits them. Crossrail will stop, several times, in Ealing. In contrast, HS2 is opposed by all councils along its route, with the exception to date of Ealing.
You assert that "the government has listened and gone some way in mitigating" local difficulties. The Transport Secretary's announcement on HS2 three weeks ago promised a bore tunnel for Ruislip but made NOT ONE concession for the entire borough of Ealing, despite HS2 passing through Acton, Ealing, Perivale, Greenford and Northolt. Why? Because Ealing Council has failed to stand up to the government.
Thousands of Ealing residents and businesses will suffer from HS2. Not only short term during construction work, but also long term with increased noise vibrations and safety issues for properties and businesses nearest to the line. Centuries old Perivale Wood Nature Reserve will be devastated.
North Ealing Against HS2 are campaigning for the Ruislip tunnel to be extended beneath Northolt, Greenford and Perivale. It would cost the same and not doing so would be discriminatory.
Bridge replacement and embankment reinforcement for an overground line would be extremely costly, almost certainly causing traffic tailbacks along key routes during construction, necessitating the reclaim of privately owned land and properties and taking the freight line out of service.
You describe HS2 as an 'investment' in our transport system. How will HS2 benefit Ealing, when it does not stop in Ealing, (or anywhere en route to Birmingham)?
If it did it might actually stimulate growth and jobs here. If HS2 trains are filled to capacity - which is the assumption on which government's net economic benefit is made - where will everyone arriving in central London go?
Boris Johnson has said a new Tube line would be needed. More cost. The Central Line West Ruislip branch is packed at rush hour with commuters, all economic contributors, and squashed in like sardines in a can.
Clearly there is a capacity issue here but HS2 will not stop in north Ealing and Crossrail is miles away. Perhaps not an issue in your ward of Southfields. Not in your back yard.
I strongly urge the Liberal Democrat group to re-examine HS2 costs and benefits. I wonder reading your column whether you are a local politician with local concerns at all.
But nationally, costs to the taxpayer versus stinging government cuts aside, how will cutting 20 minutes from the journey from London to Birmingham help the economy? It won't make people work harder and by the government's own figures 70% of all HS2 journeys will be leisure.
Ealing Council must stop sitting on the fence, recognise that HS2 does not benefit Ealing in any way and come out firmly against.
Yours sincerely,
Alex Nieora LLB
North Ealing Against HS2
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"Ealing Council must stop sitting on the fence, recognise that HS2 does not benefit Ealing in any way and come out firmly against." - and that will help how precisely? The time to complain about a political commitment to High Speed Rail (HS2) was before the last General Election when it was included in the Lib Dem manifesto and by voting accordingly if they failed to heed your censure - but let me guess - you (in common with 99.9% of others) weren't remotely interested in the issue until you found out that the new line was coming through your backyard!
Peter Davidson, I - like 99.9% of others - did not know about HS2 at the time of the last General Election because the government have worked to ensure it kept out of the press as much as possible. If I actually lived right by the line I probably would have known but - in response to your comment about backyards - the proposed route hundreds of metres from where I live. I am concerned about the communities in North Ealing, Perivale Wood nature reserve, and am angered by the government ignoring the area where I grew up and which I love. If anyone is the hypocrite it is you because if HS2 went through your backyard, you would be complaining.
The "devastation" as you refer to it is vastly overstated. This is railway line we're talking about, not a nuclear bomb! Yes, there will be slightly more noise, and the construction will cause some temporary inconvenience. But devastation, I think not. Would you say the country was devastated by the building of motorways?
What benefits will it provide to Ealing?
1. Well obviously highly convenient travel to the north. Ealing Broadway will be a mere 2 crossrail stops away from the HS2 interchange, Old Oak Common. Services will be fast and frequent, and from day one classic compatible trains will mean services continue beyond birmingham to other cities as well!
2. Assuming the link between HS1 and HS2 goes ahead, we'll also benefit from fast services to Kent and potentially services directly to the continent, on our doorstep. You'll be able to go to France without catching a plane.
3. Old Oak Common could develop into a fantastic new development as Hammersmith and City council have proposed, named Park Royal city, bringing jobs, and housing, and regeneration to the region. The economic benefits of which will of course spill over to neighboring regions - Ealing. 1/3 of passengers are predicted to alight at Old Oak Common. Some of them will come to Ealing and spend their money on our high street.
4. Old Oak Common could become the Clapham Junction of west london, linking the great western mainline, crossrail, HS2 and multiple overground branches in a highly convenient interchange. This makes it easier and faster for people to get around London to get to their jobs and to travel for leisure. This boosts the economy in Ealing. It will make businesses more likely to locate in Ealing.
5. House price rises as Ealing becomes a more desirable place to live. If you're a homeowner, you benefit. The more connected the station, and the more frequent the service, the higher premium people will pay.
Other benefits not specific to Ealing
6. In general the economic benefits will generate increased tax revenues for the government meaning more money to spend to improve the country and higher living standards for everyone over time.
7. The link to Birmingham airport allows Londoners to use that airport. The HS2 branch to Heathrow gives northerners a quick way to get to the country's only hub airport, reducing the need for domestic flights, freeing up take off and landing slots for flights to emerging markets.
8. The fast link to London and the link to Heathrow will encourage businesses to locate in cities in the north, bringing jobs and spreading the prosperity of London, reducing the north south divide.
9. Euston station gets a rebuild. A new modern station. There is the possibility of linking Euston to nearby Euston square to boost capacity. We will potentially get a crossrail 2 or 3 built to handle the passenger numbers which will in itself provide many economic benefits.
9. The benefits of HS2 are far more than cutting 20 minutes off the journey time to Birmingham. Birmingham is just the first city along the line, and the time savings will accumulate as the line extends further to the north.
10. The additional capacity is one of the major selling points. We will need additional capacity as passenger numbers continue to grow. Have you ever been on an overcrowded train and not had a seat, shouldn't something be done about that? Let's invest for the long term, rather than wait until we're at the limit of capacity! The line will free up additional capacity and seats on other lines as well such as the west coast mainline.
11. The new line also frees up space for freight services, reducing the number of lorries on the roads.
12. The first step towards more high speed lines connecting the UK. The later lines will be cheaper to build because they won't included the expensive tunneling we to get the line out of London.
13. The mere act of building it will boost the UK construction industry.
And probably many more reasons...
I suggest you ride HS1 and see how awesome it is. You get from Ashford International to St Pancras in about 35 minutes.
Ed Griffin obviously does not live along the proposed route or anywhere near the proposed route for Hs2.
"Yes, there will be slightly more noise, and the construction will cause some temporary inconvenience. But devastation, I think not."
For any residents living close to the route, I think the word 'devastation' will be very appropriate.