Category Archives: Uncategorized

Responding to HS2 Ltd’s TWO consultations (2018)

NOTE THESE CONSULTATIONS ARE NOW CLOSED

Both consultations are open until 21 December 2018. It is vital that as many people as possible raise their objections before the deadline. Anyone in the country can respond, including young people who can express an opinion about HS2. Every person in your household should submit their own separate response. Numbers do count, both now and through the Parliamentary review.

SOWHAT are currently reviewing all the material to provide guidance and template responses. Understand more about the common concerns and specific objections that our community need to formally raise.

Responses can be made by email, letter, using pre-printed forms or online forms. We suggest you submit both an electronic response and a physical paper copy sent by recorded delivery post.

Environmental Statement Consultation | Information | Online Form

Equality Impact Assessment Consultation | Information | Online Form

HS2 Ltd Community Drop-In, 2-8pm 15th November at Oulton Institute

Do you run a community or support group based in Woodlesford, Oulton, Swillington or Rothwell? or maybe you represent those with characteristics protected by the 2010 Equalities Act (such as age, race, religion, gender).

In addition to the main public event on 21st November, HS2 Ltd is dedicating their next Community Drop-In session to the working draft Equality Impact Assessment Report (Known as the EqIA, and currently out for public consultation).

The EQIA considers the potential effects of the construction and operation of HS2 Phase 2b on people with protected characteristics. They offer this open session for anybody from the community that would like to discuss the key issues that local people face and how they can better meet their needs.

If you’d prefer to speak in confidence, please contact HS2’s local Engagement Manager, David, on david.griffiths-allen@hs2.org.uk or via 07388-851092.

The justification for Woodlesford route doesn’t stack up…

The Morley route makes far more sense based on HS2’s own analysis!

UPDATE: HS2 Ltd now state that they incorrectly labelled the columns; Woodlesford and Morley have been transposed. We would like to see the evidence to support this huge error. This would mean that there are fewer demolitions on the Woodesford route. What else might they have got wrong?!

As many of us have always maintained, LCC are the primary reason LS26 is blighted. The truth is published by HS2 for the first time.

HS2 state (4.5.123 page 104) that the station location was chosen to meet LCC’s aspirations to develop the South Bank, and that this dictated (4.5.135 page 107) the route through Woodlesford.

They try to support this by stating (4.5.133 page 107) that there would be fewer demolitions and less noise compensation by coming via Woodlesford…. however, table 5 (page 108) shows that the Morley route is far more sustainable with far less impact.

47 demolitions on Woodlesford route vs 13 on Morley route! 122 homes needing noise insulation on Woodlesford route vs 39 for Morley!! The list goes on.

As we always said, LCC pushed HS2 into choosing New Street station knowing that Woodlesford would be decimated, that the alternative would have less impact, and that there were less problems to overcome.

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/…/HS2_Phase_2b_Wor…

Requesting hard copy documents from HS2

The quickest way to order is to copy the list required and send an email to the address below together with your name and postal address. Alternatively you can telephone or write.

Email: HS2enquiries@hs2.org.uk
24/7 freephone: 08081 434 434
Minicom: 08081 456 472
High Speed Two (HS2) Limited
Two Snowhill
Snow Hill Queensway
Birmingham B4 6GA

Document list:

* H1 HS2_Phase_2b_Working_Draft_ES
Non_Technical_Summary.pdf
* H2 HS2_Phase_2b_Working_Draft_ES
Volume_1.pdf
* H3 HS2_Phase_2b_Working_Draft_ES
Glossary_of_terms.pdf
+ H60 HS2_Phase_2b_Working_Draft_ES
Volume_3_Route-wide_effects.pdf
+ H61 HS2_Phase_2b_Working_Draft_ES
Volume_4_Off-route_effects.pdf
+ H62 HS2_Phase_2b_Working_Draft_ES
Alternatives_report.pdf
+ H63 HS2_Phase_2b_Working_Draft_ES
Draft_Code_of_Construction_Practice.pdf
+ H64 HS2_Phase_2b_Working_Draft_ES
EIA_Scope_and_Methodology_Report.pdf
+ H75 H75_Guidance_Booklet_V10_Web.pdf
+ H66 H66/67 –  ES Consultation Response form
Qty x10
+ H71 H71/72 – EIA Consultation Response form
Qty x10
* H26  HS2_Phase_2b_WDES_Volume_2_LA15
Warmfield_to_Swillington_and_Woodlesford.pdf
* H54  HS2_Phase_2b_WDES_Volume_2_LA15
Warmfield_to_Swillington_and_Woodlesford_map_book.pdf
+ H70 HS2_Phase_2b_Working_Draft_EQIA
Equality_Impact_Assessment_Report.pdf
+ H73 HS2_Phase_2b_Working_Draft_EQIA
map_book.pdf
+ H68 HS2_Phase_2b_Working_Draft_EQIA
Scope_and_Methology_Report.pdf
Other areas:    (N.B. Garforth will be H27 and H55)
H25 HS2_Phase_2b_WDES_Volume_2_LA14
South_Kirkby_to_Sharlston_Common.pdf
H53 HS2_Phase_2b_WDES_Volume_2_LA14
South_Kirkby_to_Sharlston_Common_map_book.pdf
H28 HS2_Phase_2b_WDES_Volume_2_LA17
Stourton_to_Hunslet.pdf
H56 HS2_Phase_2b_WDES_Volume_2_LA17
Stourton_to_Hunslet_map_book.pdf
H29 HS2_Phase_2b_WDES_Volume_2_LA18
Leeds_Station.pdf
H57 HS2_Phase_2b_WDES_Volume_2_LA18
Leeds_Station_map_book.pdf

New Information – Thursday 11 October 2018

Email below received from HS2 announcing the latest information and consultations. We have posted further information and download links on our Facebook Group “SO WHAT”. There are over 15 documents of relevance, including maps, community impact, and alternatives.


Dear Stakeholder,

as promised, I am writing to notify you that this morning the Secretary of State for Transport has announced the launch of two HS2 consultations for the section of the route from Crewe to Manchester and West Midlands to Leeds, which is known as Phase 2b. These consultations are on:

Both consultations are now open and will close at 11:45pm on 21st December 2018.

We invite you to take part in these consultations. Feedback will be considered as we further develop our proposals. An Environmental Statement and Equality Impact Assessment Report will then be submitted to Parliament alongside the hybrid Bill in mid-2020.

To support these consultations, we are holding more than 30 information events from late October to early December 2018. The events will be attended by a range of specialists from HS2 Ltd and the Department for Transport to guide people through the consultation documents. In addition, reference copies of the consultation documents are available at a number of locations, such as public libraries, during the consultation period. Your nearest events are:

  • 29th October             Crofton
  • 10th November         Hunslet
  • 19th November         Garforth
  • 21st November         Oulton
  • 23rd November         Leeds
  • 24th November         Church Fenton

A full list of the events is available at Public Information Events

The list of information points is available at Information Points (please see Community Areas LA15 to LA18 incl.)

You will find that local Community Area Reports are available at Community Area Reports (again, please see the references LA15 to LA18 incl.)

We have also produced a series of videos to introduce and explain the consultations. These are available via the website along with a new interactive tool that has been designed to help people find the information in the working draft Environmental Statement most relevant to them.

If you have any questions, please contact our Helpdesk on 08081 434 434 or email HS2enquiries@hs2.org.uk, or contact me directly by phone or email.

For further information on the consultations please visit our website www.hs2.org.uk/phase2b

To access the consultation documents directly and for details of how to respond to the consultations, please use the following links:

Kind Regards,

David

David Griffiths-Allen, Engagement Manager, Phase Two | HS2 Ltd

M: 07388 851092

High Speed Two (HS2) Limited, Two Snow Hill, Queensway, Birmingham B4 6GA. | www.gov.uk/hs2

 

HS2 Helpdesk

Email: HS2enquiries@hs2.org.uk

Freephone: 08081 434 434

Minicom: 08081 456 472

Autumn consultation 2018

On Thursday 11 October 2018, HS2 released new information and opened public consultations.  Their reports and maps disclose the impact on our villages and the land likely to be required. Details relate to both the construction period, and our long term future.

It is vital that everyone in our community reviews the information and responds to the consultations. Copies are available online and at local libraries. Printed copies can also be ordered (free of charge) from HS2 for delivery to your home. Follow on Facebook too.

The information released is truly devastating – while we all strongly suspected that the details previously provided fell well short of the reality, none of us could have foreseen just how bad the truth would be.  While individuals working for HS2 were unable to disclose information before the official release, they clearly knew what was coming – HS2 have deceived us all.

The original safeguarded area generally extended to 60m from the line, in the last release additional areas for construction were included close to the proposed lines; in this week’s announcement these areas have grown beyond recognition, taking in all of the greenbelt around the villages. They knew much of this information prior to the last release in June.

Construction boundaries are now 10 times the original distance in most cases, and in some places extend to around 1km from the route. The reality is far worse than previous estimates.

Review the information for yourself as soon as possible. Request a hard copy of the documents from HS2. Prepare your responses to the consultations. Write to our local Councillors, MP and the leader of LCC to demand that they reject HS2’s proposals.

Be sure to follow our Facebook group (SO WHAT) to get the most up to date information and breaking news. Read the HS2 announcement and check out our consultation guide.