HOPES were raised this week that the government could be re-thinking its entire HS2 strategy.
Campaigners in Harefield remain optimistic that the announcement due to be made by transport secretary Justine Greening next month will postpone a verdict until more information has been gathered and the economic case firmed up.
Local MPs across the HS2 route from London to Birmingham met with Ms Greening on Monday to tell her to rethink the proposals. They were told that a formal consultation on Phase 2 of the project, which includes a spur link to Heathrow Airport, would not take place until 2014.
Harefield Against HS2 chairwoman Doreen MacIntyre told the Gazette: “It signals to me that they may be listening to the Transport Select Committee, which said a lot more work needed to be done.
“She [Ms Greening] has said she would be rational on this but there is so much information missing at the moment she can’t possibly make a rational decision.
“I hope they say in December that it needs more work, because at the moment HS2 is little more than an idea. We don’t understand the implications, the figures are not robust.
“The project is in disarray.”
Notable by his absence at Monday’s meeting was Ruislip, Northwood and Pinner MP Nick Hurd (Cons). The minister for civil society was held up by his government work and missed the appointment.
Instead, he spoke to Ms Greening privately. Afterwards, he said: “I explained the depth of feeling in the constituency.
“I also expressed the view that if the current route was chosen because of a link with Heathrow then people had a right to expect more detail on that link.”
