HS2 BOSSES are planning to build an electricity substation and a construction site in Harefield.
Anti-HS2 campaigners say the plans were revealed to them at what they described as a ‘bombshell meeting’ of the Colne Valley Community Forum on Thursday last week.
Doreen McIntyre, chairman of the Harefield group, said they were told the location of the 100sqm substation, somewhere off Harvil Road, was an obvious choice because it was near electricity pylons.
She said: “We knew it needed to be near pylons, but not in Harefield.
“That’s a big substation and it will make one hell of a noise.”
The meeting was also reportedly told that the 3km viaduct, which campaigners had hoped would be scrapped in favour of a tunnel, will now be 50m closer to the village than originally proposed.
It is being moved in order to cross the River Colne at a narrower point, requiring fewer support piers.
But details of its exact location were not made clear and groups have now called for HS2 Ltd to release maps, giving precise locations of all the sites.
They also fear the traffic that will be created by the construction site, which will also be off Harvil Road.
A track which leads to Dews Farm will be converted into an access road under the plans.
Both Harefield Against HS2 and Hillingdon Against HS2 attended the meeting and described it as shocking.
Ms McIntyre said: “It was definitely a bit of a shocker and I don’t use that word lightly. It was bombshell after bombshell.
“We’re starting to get a real sense of what we’re up against.”
Other plans discussed at the meeting included proposals for the line to run above ground between the M25 and Denham Green, dashing hopes for a tunnel along this stretch.
A spokesman for HS2 Ltd refused to confirm the plans to the Gazette.
“We are currently assessing all the options that are available to us and carrying out further assessments on which sites may be appropriate,” he said.
“We do not want to cause unnecessary blight so will need to complete our assessments before providing further information on site locations.”
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