HS2 campaigners to stage 'noise rally' at conference...

[dutchman]

Campaigners against the planned high-speed rail line through Warwickshire are to play politicians a recording of how much noise it will generate today.



Stop HS2 are staging a rally outside the Conservative Local Government Conference at the Chesford Grange Hotel near Kenilworth this morning, where senior Tory figures are meeting.

Their convener Joe Rukin said: “They’ll notice us today, and notice we’re annoyed about this whole scheme.”

“Noise is just one aspect of why we don’t want this project, but it’s the one they’ll certainly pay attention to on the day.”

Every local council in Coventry and Warwickshire and several local MPs have come out against the line that would link London and Birmingham, aiming to get passengers between the two cities in 50 minutes, at a cost of around £17 billion.

The route for the line was recently amended over worries it would be too visible, so it is now set to run further away from Stoneleigh village and there would be no viaduct at Ladbrooke.

The alignment of the track through Stoneleigh has also been lowered, with a similar move in Burton Green.

Coventry North West MP Geoffrey Robinson is calling the scheme a white elephant and says he’d be amazed if it was built:

“I’m opposing it totally. The current predictions (for expected use of the line) are totally unsustainable.”

“The present scheme is bad for everyone…there’s a tremendous amount of support for my position building up in parliament, among the Tories as well.”

A public consultation on the scheme begins later in the month.