HS2 UPDATE HANDOUT - First Draft

HS2 UPDATE

Here's an update on some of the many things that have been happening locally as well as further along the proposed HS2 route.

- Details of the proposed Exceptional Hardship Scheme were circulated in May, surgeries held, and c 100 responses submitted from the Stoneleigh area. The nationwide campaign resulted in over 4500 responses to the proposals being made. On 26 July the Government announced that a revised scheme would be put in place, the main changes being that farms and small businesses are now included, but widespread property blight is not yet recognised and only a relatively small amount of money, £50 million, has been set aside for compensation. The new scheme will operate from 20 August but full details are awaited. (p.s.Now available from http://www.hs2.org.uk/exceptional-hardship- scheme and 020 7944 4908)

- Members of the Stoneleigh Action Group joined the Burton Green Action Group at the Kenilworth Show. The stand attracted attention from visitors, many of them local, and numerous signatures were collected for the petition. Few people seemed aware of the likely impact of the proposed route through Stareton and Stoneleigh Park and beyond, the height of the track and the noise levels from the planned trains passing every 4 minutes from 6 am to 11 pm which would be heard across the surrounding area.

- Philip Bull (Chairman, StAG) has attended regular meetings of the HS2 Alliance (groups along the proposed route) which co-ordinates activities and discusses strategy.

- Regular meetings of the Stoneleigh Action Group have been held.

- Meetings have been held between representatives of all the Warwickshire action groups and Jeremy Wright, our MP, which have resulted in the formation of a constituency-wide group, A delegation from this Group, including a representative from Stoneleigh, met with HS2 Limited on 27 July, with further meetings due in August.

- Meetings have been held with Warwick County and District Councillors

- The Parish Council allocated £250 each to the Stoneleigh and Burton Green Action Groups to assist with their campaigns (this sheet is one expense)

- The Kenilworth Action Group has mounted a display in the window of the old Woolworth's store in Kenilworth.

- The fact that HS2 will affect Stoneleigh has been mentioned in several local and national newspapers.

- The Government set up two feedback websites, one asking for comments on the Coalition's main policies (including transport), the other asking for suggested savings. Both these sites attracted hundreds of comments on transport, the vast majority being vehemently against HS2. As yet there are no signs that the Government has heeded the concerns raised. - Despite the current financial crisis, the Government included HS2 in the Queen's Speech and are continuing to plan for it. For instance, HS2 Limited has been asked to develop a plan which incorporates a link to Heathrow and to HS1. Not only will this extra work add to the existing high costs of the plans but means that the public consultation has been put back to 2011 rather than autumn 2010.

- The Secretary of State for Transport has said that he will visit sections of the proposed route during September. It is hoped that he will include the Stareton- Stoneleigh-Dalehouse Lane-Crackley-Burton Green section in his itinerary.

- It is expected that the approved route will be announced during the Conservative Party Conference, in Birmingham, 3-6 October, so time for influence is limited.

WHAT CAN YOU DO?

* Write to the Secretary of State for Transport, Philip Hammond, Great Minster House, 76 Marsham Street, London SW1P 4DR * Write to your MP, Jeremy Wright, Constituency Office, Wilton House, Southbank Road, Kenilworth CV8 1LA * Sign the 'Stop HS2' petition on www.gopetition.co.uk * Check the village website www.stoneleighvillage.org.uk where there are links to other relevant sites, notably http://hs2actionalliance.org, plus http://spendingchallenge.hm-treasury.gov.uk and and http://dft.gov.uk.highspeedrail *Volunteer your services. There will be national initiatives on items as wide as economic reviews through to correspondence teams to lobby non-affected MPs who will be the ones who will eventually vote on the HS2 proposals when they are presented to Parliament in a 'hybrid bill', probably next year (MPs for constituencies affected by HS2 are prohibited from voting!). Everyone can help, even in a small way. * Donate to the Stoneleigh Action Group - cash at events such as the Duck Race, individual cheques, or perhaps set up a Direct Debit for a small amount each month, £2 or £5, to these bank details: Bank: HSBC Account Name: Stoneleigh Action Group Sort Code: 40-26-04 Account Number: 91430106 Or, if you shop online try www.easyfundraising.org.uk through which up to 15% of the price of any purchase you make will be donated if you designate FightHS2 as your chosen cause. (Funds raised will help meet the expenses of the Group's campaign against the detrimental impact HS2 would have on our community, and to counter the myths which have been advanced by the Government about the supposed projected need and economic benefits of High Speed Rail. Any surplus funds will be distributed equally to the Stoneleigh Village Hall and Playing Fields Trust and the Stoneleigh Village Club). * Offer to help the Stoneleigh Action Group

[email protected] 07517 041937 8 August 2010