Appendix A: Key issues in response to consultation on ES

HS2 – summary of issues for :

Description / key element of the scheme:

• Appearance: dual track high speed railway with associated structures such as overhead cables, gantries, fencing.

• Area affected: affects the most northern part of the district between and Stoke Mandeville. The Wycombe section is just outside the AONB and crosses an area of agricultural fields. Very few residential properties are affected;

• Length affected: 800m within Wycombe District itself but the lines runs close to the district boundary for a longer distance of approximately 4.5km in total;

• Green tunnel portal : passes Wendover in a green tunnel, the portal of which may be visible in views from Wycombe District though this will be mitigated as the tunnel would emerge into a cutting;

• Vertical alignment: enters Wycombe District in a cutting (up to 11m deep), which gradually changes to low embankment (approx. 2m high);

• Nash Lee Road overbridge: Nash Lee Road (B4009) will be realigned and carried over HS2 by an over-bridge;

• Maintenance loop: a maintenance loop (1.2km long, 19m wide) is proposed on a low embankment between Wycombe District and Aylesbury Vale with the majority being in Aylesbury Vale;

• Stoke Mandeville bypass: a bypass towards the south of Stoke Mandeville and HS2 is proposed to provide an enhanced route to the A413 into Aylesbury;

• Pylons: HS2 will require the re-location and introduction of several pylons to secure the power supply for HS2;

• Ancillary elements: other elements that accompany the scheme are: overhead equipment, noise barriers (3m or 5m in height depending on location), earth bunds, tree and scrub planting, balancing ponds, security fencing, structures such as auto- transformer stations, access tracks for maintenance; • Construction compounds: one satellite compound within WD (Nash Lee Road), three others satellite compounds just outside district boundary (Wendover Green Tunnel (North) compound, Risborough Road compound, Aylesbury Rail Overbridge compound (West)); duration of works in this section between up to 7 years;

• Temporary and permanent road closures: all located just outside the district boundary; A4010 - Risborough Road, Old Risborough Road and Marsh Lane will be permanently closed to vehicular traffic with the Stoke Mandeville bypass providing an alternative route. Nash Lee Lane will be permanently stopped up at access via a new access road from the realigned Nash Lee Road.

• Construction traffic: construction compounds proposed to be served by a variety of routes including M40 - J4 – A4010 Princes Risborugh – A4010/ B4009 Nash Lee, and M40 – J7, A4129 Lonwick – ;

• Public Rights of Way (PRoW ): redirection of several public rights of way and provision of overbridges across the line.

General comments on the Environmental Statement:

• A very extensive document with information spread across many documents and extensive cross referencing. This poses challenges to ensure that all relevant information is taken into account.

• A lot of work has been done between the Draft Environment Statement and this Environment Statement;

• It contains a lot of information but is still quite a high-level document. It provides little detail on specific elements e.g. structures associated with the line and is generic in its proposals;

• There is a lot of vague language such as ‘wherever possible’, ‘reasonably practicable’ providing little certainty or commitment.

Table: Key issues in response to consultation on Environmental Statement

Issue Potential impact WDC Response to Environmental Statement

Noise • Trains passing (day and night) • some limited issues with regard to one property

• Trains exiting the green tunnel portal • some concerns about severance caused by construction traffic • Maintenance loop – night working

(note: hardly any residential properties nearby)

Landscape • Impact of line and associated works on the landscape • Some issues with methodology & Visual character of the area; • No correlation between assessment of impact and • Impact of line on views to and from the AONB (e.g. mitigation / revision of design pylons, lighting etc) and other locations within the District, • No palette for landscape treatment as previously discussed with HS2 • Impact of construction compounds on landscape and views; • Potential impact of tunnel portal on views (insufficient information in ES); • Impacts of over-bridges (footpath, road bridges) across HS2; • Insufficient landscape mitigation on western side (WD side) of track; • Impacts caused by inappropriate or insufficient landscape treatment; • Potential impact of maintenance loop on selected views (insufficient information in ES making • Impact of lighting on landscape character and views assessment difficult); including Coombe Hill • Limited assessment of lighting / night – time impact • Impact of Stoke Mandeville bypass Issue Potential impact WDC Response to Environmental Statement

• No provision of / commitment to management

Constructi • Impact of satellite compounds (working, visually); • Concerns about construction traffic routing and on impact on traffic flows, residents and communities • Impact of construction traffic on road network (diversions, improvements, widening etc if required) • Concerns about lack of information of construction and on residents / communities routes impacts further away from line such as Princes Risborough and M40 (J4)

PRoW • Impact on PRoW network caused by diversions and • Concerns about lack of provision of a designated alternative arrangements footway / cycleway alongside B4009 overbridge

Ecology • Impact on priority habitat (traditional orchard); • Limited survey effort

• Loss of habitat / vegetation in particular hedgerows; • Insufficient / inappropriate mitigation (tbc with BCC / AVDC ecologists) • Impact on protected species such as bats • May be a net loss in biodiversity – although probably • Impact on notable species such as barn owls; not in context of Wycombe district in isolation

• Potential for net loss in biodiversity

General • Lack of detail in ES including in relation to extent of • Lack of detail in ES issues vertical deviation • Cumulative impacts insufficiently assessed • Cumulative impacts