Ten local authorities will challenge the Government in Supreme Court next week over its High Speed 2 (HS2) project.
The local authorities will make their case against HS2 in the Supreme Court on 15-16 October, arguing it will have a ‘catastrophic’ impact on the local communities affected.
A letter from Cllr Valerie Leach, Camden Council, and Cllr Nick Rose, leader of Chiltern DC, said the Government had failed to consider if the objectives of HS2 could be achieved in a different way.
It states: ‘The councils also believe HS2 to be fundamentally flawed because of the substantial environmental impact of the current proposals, and by failing to take account of these impacts believe the government is acting unlawfully. This is before considering the £50bn expenditure on a project with an uncertain economic case.
‘The impact is catastrophic along the line between London and Birmingham. In Camden alone there is an estimated ‘bricks and mortar’ cost of some £1.3bn from lost housing, business premises, open spaces and potentially jeopardised school premises. Lost regeneration opportunities could be worth a further £5bn.’
