The evening debate on 18th September discussed the impacts of High Speed Rail 2, positive and negative, for London.

Toby Smith, award winning reportage photographer, gave a special preview of his ‘Walk the Line’ photo journal of the proposed HS2 route around London. Capturing pre-HS2 moment in time of some of the communities such as the Silverdale & Regents Park Estates in Euston and green spaces like St James Gardens in Euston, Adelaide Road nature reserve home to the rare chaffer beetle & Perivale Wood in Ealing, that currently exist on the planned route for HS2. He particularly highlighted the Colne Valley regional park in London Borough of Hillingdon, which has Site of Special Scientific Importance (SSSI) status, where a viaduct is proposed mid-valley.

Ralph Smyth, CPRE National's Senior Transport Campaigner, presented CPRE's online maps of the HS2 route. The maps give a clearer view of the route and sites affected. The website has a link button so you can send local maps direct to your local politician to highlight key sites.

The debate itself was chaired by Cynthia Jenkins, CPRE London Vice Chair, who introduced the discussion by asking what each of the panelists thought were the main obstacles to HS2, especially in London.

Murad Qureshi, Chair of the London Assembly's Environment Committee, commented on the findings of his committee and that of the assembly’s Transport Committee, noting the lack of adequate environmental assessment of the impacts of the 7-year construction phase in London from increased congestion (for transporting materials), noise and air pollution, along with a lack of clear mitigation measures about how HS2 Ltd would address these impacts in the current draft documents. He also noted there had been little to no assessment of Carbon footprint of the project.

Regarding the design of the route Qureshi questioned the impacts to the Colne Valley;

“if you can afford to tunnel through Chilterns then HS2 should also tunnel through the Colne & Hillingdon”.

More fundamentally, he said the case still hadn’t been made for HS2 in comparison with other major national infrastructure projects;

“the cost benefit ratio for HS2, in London & especially Camden simply don't stack up…surely we should be more focused on cross-country connections than North-South links?”.

Noting the ten years of construction and significant impacts for Camden’s communities and potential congestion for passengers in and around Euston station, Qureshi, like others, questioned whether HS2 should simply stop at Old Oak Common in Hammersmith & Fulham, with better links to Crossrail and HS1.

Clinton Leeks, Director of External & Parliamentary Relations at HS2 ltd, responding to Qureshi indicated that a report would be coming out “in the next few weeks” on the project's carbon footprint and mitigation measures would be detailed ahead of the hybrid bill process in parliament. In addition, a further review of the business case would be made. He assured the audience that any mitigation measures would comply with all relevant environmental legislation.

Whist he acknowledged there were criticisms of the current route, Leeks suggested that much of it would be thrashed out in parliament;

“the three main parties are all still in favour of the project – we have to address future capacity requirements, improve and update ageing Victorian rail infrastructure as well as improve speeds – these are all reasons why HS2 should go ahead”.

He commented that the first High Speed rail process had been partially re-designed during parliamentary review and this was a natural part of the process. Whilst many issues still need to be worked out Leeks maintained: “Brunel would have said don't not build HS2 but build it properly”.

Cllr Paul Braithwaite, Shadow member for Transport & HS2, Camden Council has been an argent opponent to the project referring to it as a ‘costly white elephant’ and has even written a joint letter with other local Lib Dem councillors in response to his own party leader’s positive position to HS2. He disagreed with Clinton Leeks, noting;

“there's been a Tsunami of analysis against the economic case for HS2 but our national politicians are totally ignoring them”. 

Braithwaite raised the question that if it has to go ahead then why didn't HS2 simply stop at Old Oak Common in Hammersmith & Fulham rather than impacting some many in Camden?

Michael Colella, from Transport for London and HS2 Interface agreed with Leeks that “future passenger capacity for rail is a significant challenge” but more in line with Qureshi, he noted that the UK needs to step back and take a strategic view on what we want for UK's transport as a whole and not just HS2. He said that;

“the mayor does believe in HS2 but he wants Euston & beyond to benefit from the project & for there to be better connectivity with Crossrail”.

During the question and answer session the new design of Euston station was challenged as wasteful by one participant from the Pan-Camden Alliance, who noted it would result in a half-mile walk to get to the Victoria line. They shared an alternative design that digs down rather than out, the so-called double-deck solution, reducing the land footprint of the new station and consequent local impacts, as well as improving the efficiency of design – the participant asked that HS2 Ltd review their design to reflect such ideas.

Micheal Collela (TfL), acknowledged that Euston would face considerable challenges with the arrival of new passengers, along with an increasing level of London-based passenger numbers. He commented that Crossrail would be ‘full’ within 10 – 15 years time. Clinton Leeks (HS2 Ltd) agreed that HS2 needs good design and better linkages with HS1. Referring directly to Euston, Leeks said that travellators might help address the passenger transit issue at Euston.

Another participant commented on the potential impact of HS2 to rail freight capacity and passenger transit, referring to a recent newspaper article that pointed to a ‘capacity crunch’ for freight transit and inadequate provision for passengers in the Midlands. Quoting the article,

“In five of the seven main provincial cities it is supposed to serve, HS2 will not stop at the main station in the city centre. In Birmingham and Leeds it will serve new-build stations on the edge of the centre…In Derby, Nottingham and Sheffield, HS2 will not serve the city centre at all, but will run only to suburban “parkway” stations up to 10 miles away”.

Regarding noise pollution impacts, one member of the audience referred to a recent update on a European Commission Communication regarding managing the impact of rail noise, especially from freight. The Commissions’ update notes “possible health complications, low quality of life, decreasing revenues (from tourism etc.) and falling property prices as the most important problems for citizens living close to railway lines”.

The evening discussion made it clear that the HS2 project as a whole has to face up to an awful lot more questions, addressing growing criticism from all sides - in terms of the business case, speed, design, passenger & freight transit and the exact route, along with proper accounting for the real costs to communities and environment. It will take quite an impressive turn around, at least in the public’s view, to justify such great expense to public purse in the run up to its time in parliament.