Bucks Tories voice concerns over HS2

Feb 21 2012 By Lawrence Poole

CONSERVATIVE members from across the region made their feelings about HS2 clear to the party chairman at a packed meeting last week.

Lord Andrew Feldman was invited to hear the Chesham & Amersham Conservative Association's concerns about the £33bn London to Birmingham route through the Chilterns on February 15.

At the meeting the group also vowed to back 70 other groups who have called for a judicial review into the controversial plans.

Cllr Andrew Garnett, chair of Chesham & Amersham Conservative Association, said: "We had around 80 people at the event, which is a good turnout for our meetings.

"As we'd invited Lord Feldman along we decided to concentrate soley on HS2 - we made our feelings clear as he's very close to David Cameron.

"We gave him a report, which he took away with him, so we'll have to see what happens now."

The association has made it clear they believe there is no economic or environment benefits from HS2 and urged the transport secretary Justine Greening to reconsider her decision in the light of a recent YouGov poll that showed 74 per cent of the population were against HS2.

They have joined Bucks Country Council, Chiltern District Council and the other members of 51M - the local authorities along the route protesting against HS2 - in calling for a judicial review into the plans.

Cllr Garnett continued: "HS2 is the biggest threat this constituency has faced in living memory. We are committed to doing all we can to fight it off from within our party.

"We hosted Lord Feldman to ensure that he fully understands the anger, disappointment and hurt this decision has caused and precisely why people living both on and off the line in our nation cannot support it.

"HS2 is the wrong investment decision for the UK at a time of national austerity - we will continue to make the case against this misguided policy whenever and wherever we can."