A coalition of councils opposed to plans for a new high-speed rail link (HS2) from London to Birmingham are in the high court today where their judicial review will be heard.
Government lawyers will fight the 51m alliance’s legal challenge, which is centred on claims of an unfair consultation and inadequate environmental assessment.
The leader of Buckinghamshire County Council, Martin Tett, who chairs the 51m alliance said: ‘We are doing this with immense reluctance; however we feel that we have been left with no alternative. This immensely expensive project ignores the Davis Review of aviation policy, has an abysmal business case and represents extremely poor value for hard pressed taxpayers' money.
‘Far better alternatives exist to build the infrastructure the country desperately needs more quickly and at far lower cost. We cannot let the DfT with its atrocious record on managing key investment decisions not answer for why these have been ignored.’
Cllr Sarah Hayward, leader of Camden LBC, said: ‘The judicial review enables us to highlight the impact of this fundamentally flawed scheme, through the legal system. We remain strongly opposed to HS2 and have been disappointed by Government not listening to our concerns.
‘This scheme will bring a damning blight to Camden that could last for decades, and the Council will fight for every home and business, brick by brick.’
