30 July 2012

Legal challenge set for HS2 plans


Nick Appleyard

The timetable has been set for the legal challenges launched against ministers’ plans for a High Speed rail link (HS2) between London and Birmingham.

All five cases against HS2 – including one launched by a coalition of councils, dubbed 51m – will be heard together over a seven-day period in the High Court of Justice.

The hearing at the Queen’s Bench Division in the Administrative Court will commence on December 3.

Buckinghamshire County Council leader, Martin Tett, who chairs the alliance of 15 councils, said: ‘The decision is good not just for the people we represent in 15 local authority areas but for hard pressed taxpayers across the entire country.

'The hearing in December will give us the chance to show exactly why we believe the decision to proceed with HS2 is unlawful. We took the decision to go down the legal route with great reluctance but we still feel the Government left us with no alternative.

‘Following HS2 Limited’s own announcement this week that over 400 consultation responses were ‘mislaid’ and therefore ignored during their consultation last summer, the Judge has given his permission to amend the claim. Those responses missed out included three of the four claimants in the case – HS2 Action Alliance, the Heathrow Hub and Cherwell District Council. This is further evidence of the appalling and inadequate way in which HS2 have handled the entire process.’





Your comments

This story and comments includes two instances of grouping people together incorrectly. First, I am a Buckinghamshire Council Tax payer and Martin Tett is not representing me in this action. Secondly, I am not one of the southern nimbys suggested by J Smith. I fully support the phased development of HS2, to include the full Y network, including Scotland.

Paul Le Blond, Added: Tuesday, 31 July 2012 10:58 AM

It is naive to think the Northern extension will ever be built and knocking twenty minutes off getting to Birmingham for 20bn is not good economics. Costs are likely to be underestimates but revenues will be little more than speculation.

Patrick Newman, ex local government, Stevenage, Added: Monday, 30 July 2012 08:10 PM

Se Nimby's got the Olympics, Crossrail and billions of other taxpayer funded investment. When it comes to trying to connect & invest in the North they want to stop it. You can see where the countries real problems lie. Lots of well off, complacent, southern, nimby's

J Smith, Added: Monday, 30 July 2012 06:49 PM



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