HAREFIELD is not just angry about HS2 – it is furious. But villagers’ strong views aired at a public meeting WILL be heard at the top, an MP has promised.

The scale of the fury came across ‘loud and clear’ at the meeting on Saturday said the village’s anti-HS2 campaigners.

There was standing room only at St Mary’s Church Hall in High Street, as more than 150 people gathered to hear from Ruislip, Northwood and Pinner MP Nick Hurd.

The two-hour meeting attracted people from Harefield and beyond, plus the boss of the Herts and Middlesex Wildlife Trust and ward Councillor Richard Barnes, who is also Deputy Mayor of London and a Greater London Assembly member.

Mr Hurd was grilled on everything from the impact on village bus routes to worries about Heathrow expansion, the environment and costs.

He has pledged to feed back all concerns to transport secretary Justine Greening.

Doreen McIntyre, vice-chairwoman of Harefield Against HS2, said the minister for civil society had been able to give campaigners ‘a reality check’.

“He said we can still fight but also to be prepared for the worst case scenario.

“It was a really rich discussion, and the message was loud and clear that Harefield isn’t just angry about a viaduct across the lakes, it is furious about the fundamental waste of taxpayers’ money involved in this project,” she said.

“I think he [Mr Hurd] understood that Harefield residents would find it very hard to identify any adequate way to compensate for the permanent damage to the area.

“A few pounds in a few pockets in a few years’ time is not the answer.”

The meeting was a real boost to the village’s campaign, say villagers.

Harefield was not even mentioned in the government’s announcement earlier this year, despite having to accommodate a 3km viaduct that has become something of a symbol of the project as a whole, and many campaigners feel the impact on its landscape, wildlife and businesses has been ignored.

Mr Hurd said: “It was a good meeting and the village spoke its mind. I will be writing to the Secretary of State and HS2 to make sure they understand how angry Harefield is and why.

“There is a long way to go and I will continue to represent my constituents’ interests as best I can.”

Harefield Tenants’ and Residents' Association, which formed the Harefield Against HS2 group, said it will now insist on a place at the upcoming Colne Valley Community Forum, which HS2 Ltd, the company behind the scheme, is setting up for residents.