Reviews a good result for HS2

ON MARCH 20 you published a letter from Keri Brennan to me (HS2 chief should apologise and quit). I wish to set out the facts.

In the recent judicial reviews concerning HS2, the judge found in favour of the government in nine out of the 10 areas of challenge. Overall, this is a good result for HS2 and will not cause any delay to its delivery and the benefits that it will bring for the country.

There was just one challenge that the government did not win on. The judge upheld that the 2011 consultation on compensation issues was unlawful. The judgement related to the consultation process itself. The judge did not comment on the merits of particular property compensation schemes.

The secretary of state for transport has decided not to appeal against this decision, and wants to put in place a property compensation scheme for the phase one route as quickly as possible.

With the Department for Transport, we are moving quickly to organise a fresh consultation on property compensation and hope to announce further details in weeks.

ALISON MUNRO

Chief executiveHS2 Ltd

Rally round against pool parking fee

I AGREE with Barry Spear, who complained about the imposition of car park charging at Highgrove swimming pool. Last year, I made a similar complaint about the imposition of charges at Uxbridge Lido car park. Hillingdon Council informed me that it was to deter illegitimate users.

From April to September, I swam 109 times in the outdoor pool, paying up to £3.70 admission. If that does not make me a legitimate user I don’t know what does. I did not pay the car park charge. When I receive a summons I will contest it in court.

The pool management are party to this by giving exemption to those who take out gym membership and pay by direct debit.

I can think of two strategies for the swimmers at Highgrove and the other pools:

1. Refuse to pay en masse and rally around to help those who receive a summons.

2. Organise a regular boycott of the pool on specific agreed days.

EDMUND O’BRIEN

Chairman

Uxbridge Pool Action Group

We need stronger food watchdog

WITH reference to the letter What else might we be eating, (Gazette, March 6), the meat was not labelled as horsemeat, so it is a deception by the food industry. Supermarkets did not know what was in their products, where the meat came from, or if the horses were healthy.

This is a serious breach of the standards which are supposed to control what goes into our food. The UK Food Standards Agency in UK did not find the problem – the Irish authorities it. We need a food watchdog that puts the interests of consumers first.

A WILLS

via email