HS2 - devastating impact on Kingsbury Water Park

[Madhatter]

Following the announcement on Monday that the "Y-Junction" will fork at the village of Water Orton and follow the M42 - cutting through Kingsbury Water Park and Pooley Country Park & Heritage Centre at Polesworth Local MP Dan Byles Speaks out ...

"Sadly this announcement was not a surprise. I think we all knew that the 'M42 corridor' was the most likely route for Phase Two of HS2, but to have it confirmed is bitterly disappointing. The route will have a devastating impact on Kingsbury Water Park and the Pooley Heritage Centre, and severely impact on a number of local communities.



"I will continue to work with local Action Groups to oppose this entire project if at all possible, and to try to minimise the impact on our communities if we cannot stop it altogether. A fortnight ago I chaired a meeting of the new Kingsbury and Piccadilly Action Group which is the latest group to come together, making five groups locally that are working closely together. I would encourage anyone who is concerned about HS2 to contact my office and we can put you in touch with your local Action Group. The fight against HS2 goes on."



There are Action Groups established in Coleshill, Water Orton, Middleton, Kingsbury and surrounding villages; and Polesworth and surrounding villages. If you are interested in making contact with your local Action Group and getting involved you can contact Dan's office on: 02476 315 233.

Former soldier and Member of Parliament Dan Byles has been leading the battle campaign against High Speed Rail from the front. Having helped establish no fewer than five anti-HS2 Action Groups in North Warwickshire, Dan is the only Member of Parliament who chairs all High Speed Rail Community Forums in his constituency. He has pledged to vote against HS2 in Parliament and is working with fellow MPs to try to improve compensation and mitigation measures for local communities.

[Madhatter]

HIGH speed railway plans will decimate two much-loved country parks in North Warwickshire.

The controversial `Y’ route for the High Speed Rail (HS2) link would rip through Kingsbury Water Park and Pooley Country Park.

Both attract visitors from across the county, with many families from across Nuneaton and Bedworth enjoying the brand new play area facilities at the two parks.

News that both areas could be hit by the proposed rail route have been condemned by leading councillors across the political spectrum,

As featured in the News, both Warwickshire County Council and North Warwickshire Borough Council have voiced grave concerns about the plans but now their leaders have spoken out.

Councillor Alan Farnell, the Nuneaton-based leader at Shire Hall, said: “I think it is atrocious that two of our country parks are at risk of being totalled destrioyed by HS2.

“They are there for the health, well-being and enjoyment of residentrs across Warwickshire as well as visitors and it is atrocious that the government with support from other political parties are stil persuing this proposal that is not needed in this country.”

His comments were echoed by Cllr Mick Stanley, leader of North Warwickshire Borough Council, who said HS2 will blight the whole area.

“HS2 will go through the middle of Kingsbury Water Par, and currently the lakes around the park attract 400,000 tourists to the borough,” he said.

“A HS2 railway viaduct on stilts will tower over the wildlife refuges and bird sanctuaries. When this is built, neither the birds, nor most of the tourists are likely to come any more.

“Part of our plan for regeneration of the local economy was to boost tourism. That is now in tatters.”

Cllr Stanley fumed: “I am seriously angry. This will cost Council Taxpayers in our borough money and jobs. And what is even worse this is a project with no business case, no environmental case and is of little benefit to the country and no benefit to North Warwickshire.”

Dan Byles, Bedworth and North Warwickshire’s MP, has pledged to take the battle to Parliament.

Having helped establish five anti-HS2 Action Groups in North Warwickshire, Mr Byles is the only Member of Parliament who chairs all High Speed Rail Community Forums in his constituency. He has pledged to vote against HS2 in Parliament and is working with fellow MPs to try to improve compensation and mitigation measures for local communities.

“The route will have a devastating impact on Kingsbury Water Park and the Pooley Heritage Centre, and severely impact on a number of local communities,” he said.

“I will continue to work with local Action Groups to oppose this entire project if at all possible, and to try to minimise the impact on our communities if we cannot stop it altogether. I would encourage anyone who is concerned about HS2 to contact my office and we can put you in touch with your local Action Group. The fight against HS2 goes on.”

Anyone who is interested in joining one of the local Action Groups or getting involved should contact Mr Byles’ office on 024 7631

[Madhatter]

Following the Government’s announcement of its preferred route for the second phase of High Speed Rail 2, The Wildlife Trusts’ initial analysis shows that more than 200 important wildlife sites lie within a one kilometre corridor centred on the proposed route and could suffer as a result. Of these, at least 65 are at direct risk of impact from the line itself.



Among the special wild places that stand to be affected, several have high-level statutory protection including a National Nature Reserve and numerous nationally and internationally important sites. Ten Wildlife Trust reserves are amongst the areas that could be badly affected. The route also cuts through a number of areas identified for much-needed restoration of the natural environment such as the Staffordshire Washlands Living Landscape scheme.

Based on these early results The Wildlife Trusts will campaign to ensure excessive damage on the natural environment is avoided.

The Wildlife Trusts are pressing HS2 Ltd to make decisions based on the best available environmental evidence and to put forward a scheme which is in line with the Natural Environment White Paper’s ambition to restore our natural environment.

Stephanie Hilborne OBE, Chief Executive of The Wildlife Trusts, said:

“The Government is committed to continuing HS2 northwards whilst still awaiting the outcome of five Judicial Reviews being held into HS2 Phase One. Any scheme that goes ahead must avoid further erosion of England’s much depleted natural capital. This scheme is being driven forward in the name of progress, but what kind of progress is it that goes backwards on the protection and restoration of the natural environment on which we all depend?”

The Wildlife Trusts and HS2
The Wildlife Trusts are represented on an Environment Forum, a means of sharing views, concerns and ideas about the development and implementation of the scheme. The forum was established last year by HS2 Ltd and the Department for Transport (DfT). The Wildlife Trusts are also represented on a ‘stakeholder group’ chaired by the Secretary of State for Transport or the Transport Minister.

The High Speed Rail scheme is being developed and promoted by HS2 Ltd; a company wholly owned by the Department for Transport, established in 2009 to design and manage implementation of HS2.

HS2 Phase Two
1The nine Wildlife Trusts affected by the proposed High Speed Rail phase two route are:
• Cheshire Wildlife Trust
• Derbyshire Wildlife Trust
• The Wildlife Trust for Lancashire, Manchester & North Merseyside
• Leicestershire & Rutland Wildlife Trust
• Nottinghamshire Wildlife Trust
• Sheffield Wildlife Trust
• Staffordshire Wildlife Trust
• Yorkshire Wildlife Trust
• Warwickshire Wildlife Trust

Examples of wild places which may be affected:

Across Lancashire, Manchester & North Merseyside:
The Wildlife Trust for Lancashire, Manchester & North Merseyside has been dismayed by the news that an offshoot linking the line to the West Coast Mainline in Wigan, runs within metres of Lightshaw Meadows nature reserve, near Wigan, and near to the Abram Flash SSSI that forms part of it.

The proposed route runs along the Heybroook Corridor, in which that nature reserve lies; and it also crosses, and so further fragments, the historic Chat Moss area – passing Little Wooden Moss nature reserve and particularly close to Holcroft Moss SSSI, and not far from Risley Moss SSSI. In fact the route would split the two SSSIs which would prevent plans to join them and form a larger protected area in the future. The Heybrook Corridor and the historic Chat Moss area form major components of the Great Manchester Wetland Living Landscape area.

The proposed route through the city of Manchester has the potential to impact on internationally and nationally vulnerable species; most notably roosting bats and, perhaps, breeding sites of the rare Black Redstart.

In Nottinghamshire:
Sellers Wood SSSI, a Nottinghamshire Wildlife Trust reserve is within the corridor.
Bulwell Wood SSSI is right on the edge of the centre line.
Bogs Farm Quarry is a SSSI and a Nottinghamshire Wildlife Trust reserve directly impacted by the centre line. The site is a complex mix of wet and dry, acidic and calcareous habitats.

Annesley Woodhouse Quarries SSSI is a Nottinghamshire Wildlife Trust reserve and is less than 100m from the proposed centre line. Nottinghamshire Wildlife Trust fought for 10 years to get this site designated as an amphibian SSSI and to protect it from landfill. The site is important for its calcareous grassland and for breeding and overwintering wetland birds. The adjacent land directly affected is an important site for birds. The proposed route runs straight through the magnesian limestone area of the County – which already has the most seriously threatened and fragmented groups of calcareous grassland Local Wildlife Sites.

In Yorkshire there are three Wildlife Trust reserves which will be affected: Woodhouse / Woodhouse Washlands, where the route goes along the eastern boundary and so direct impacts are expected, Water Haigh Woodland Park where the line goes straight through the middle, and Rothwell Country Park.

The expected programme for Phase Two is as follows:
• Early 2013 Government announce engagement programme on Phase Two preferred route
• Early 2014 Consultation on preferred route for Phase Two
• Late 2014 Government’s announcement of the chosen route for Phase Two

HS2 Phase One
In January 2012, following a public consultation on the 'preferred' London to West Midlands route to which around 55,000 responses were received, the Government decided to proceed with HS2's Phase One. The route, from London to the West Midlands is currently planned to be in operation by 2026.

The seven Wildlife Trusts affected by the proposed High Speed Rail Phase One route are:
• The Wildlife Trust for Beds, Cambs & Northants
• Berks, Bucks & Oxon Wildlife Trust
• Birmingham & Black Country Wildlife Trust
• Herts & Middlesex Wildlife Trust
• London Wildlife Trust
• Staffordshire Wildlife Trust
• Warwickshire Wildlife Trust

[Madhatter]

HS2 Campaigners Slam Labour Council Leader For Breaking With North Warwickshire HS2 Consensus
February 4th, 2013

Dan Byles MP says local all-party cooperation over HS2 has been put at risk by Cllr Mick Stanley's 'self serving' remarks

Local MP Dan Byles, who has won widespread praise locally for the robust lead he has taken in the campaign against High Speed Rail, has strongly criticised the Labour Leader of North Warwickshire Borough Council Mick Stanley for breaking a local consensus over HS2.

In a weekly newspaper column published on Thursday Cllr Stanley launched a highly political attack on the Conservative Party, the Prime Minister and local MP Dan Byles personally over High Speed Rail. This has raised a number of eyebrows among local anti-HS2 activists for two reasons: because supporting HS2 remains official Labour Party policy; and because Dan Byles is a well known and vigorous campaigner against HS2.

Until now, campaigners from across the political spectrum have been working together for the good of the local area. There are now fears that Cllr Stanley is breaking that local co-operation by launching a party political attack.

Dan Byles MP said:

"I was gobsmacked to read Cllr Stanley's unprovoked political attack over HS2. Until now I have been working closely with local people and with both Labour and Conservative councillors against HS2, for the good of the local area. If Cllr Stanley had taken the slightest interest in this issue before now he would have known that, but over the last two and a half years we have held well over fifty public meetings, Action Group meetings, committee meetings and Community Forums - and in all that time Cllr Stanley has attended just two of our meetings.

"It is essential that we stand united in North Warwickshire. Divided, we will fall. Everybody else gets that, which is why we all leave politics at the door and work side by side in the Action Groups for the good of the borough over this. Now Cllr Stanley has ridden a coach and horses through that local consensus. I just hope these self serving remarks don't represent the end of our local co-operation on HS2.

"It is particularly hypocritical of Cllr Stanley to launch an attack on the national Conservative Party for supporting HS2, when the national Labour Party are themselves enthusiastic supporters. Both Parties openly supported HS2 in their manifestos. Last Monday, in the House of Commons, the Labour Shadow Secretary of State for Transport Maria Eagle said the Labour were 100% behind HS2, she criticised the Government for progressing with it too slowly, and she even criticised rebellious anti-HS2 Conservative MPs like myself for not supporting HS2. So it is breathtakingly hypocritical for Cllr Stanley to criticise the national Conservative Party, when his own party is even more enthusiastically pro-HS2!

"Those involved with the anti-HS2 campaign know that I have worked tirelessly on this issue: helping to set up five Action Groups across North Warwickshire, running public meetings to raise awareness, chairing every HS2 Community Forum, and meeting regularly with HS2 staff to make the case for robust local mitigation measures and for better compensation arrangements. Local people don't want to see us squabbling among ourselves. They want to see us working together in the local interest - which until this week I thought we were. Perhaps Cllr Stanley should come along to a few meetings and actually help our campaign, instead of sniping from the sidelines."

Local campaigners have also expressed their disappointment at Cllr Stanley and their support for Mr Byles.

Ian Waddell, the Chairman of the Middleton HS2 Action Group, said:

"I was very disheartened to read Councillor Mick Stanley's criticisms of our MP, Dan Byles in connection with HS2. This is a time when concerned people of all parties should be coming together to fight this damaging proposal, not trying to score party political points.

As Chair of Middleton Action Group I have been involved in the national and local campaign to stop this colossal white elephant from the start. I know from direct experience that Dan was one of the very few MPs from either party prepared, from the very early days, to go against his own party and stand up and condemn not just the route of HS2, but the principle of this vanity project, which as a Country we simply cannot afford."

John Rowlands, Vice-Chairman of the Middleton Action Group, said:

"Whilst I concur with many of the points in Cllr Stanley's article, most of which have been in the public domain for some years now, I am extremely annoyed by his suggestion that Dan Byles attitude was "outrageous".

"From the outset Dan's stance has been one of open and public opposition to this white elephant of a rail project. The local MPs adopted the correct plan of action in that it was not sufficient to merely put all resources into stopping HS2, but also to take a twin prong strategy in that IF the line went ahead, communities need a well thought out and negotiated mitigation programme and we, as a local group have embraced this as have most other action groups down the line.

"Dan is very much against HS2. He chairs our "Community Forums(CF)" (bi monthly with HS2 Ltd) and has had several meetings at a high level in Westminster with his ministerial colleagues AND with the HS2 hierarchy. I do not know of any other MP that Chairs these vital CF meetings. He attends our "regional" SNOW meetings when he can, often having to travel back to London after those meetings. (SNOW is Staffordshire and North Of Warwickshire). Without Dan's ongoing and very valuable support the North Warks action groups would lose a very valuable ally. Cllr Stanley would do well to consider the facts before using emotive language."

John Warren, Chairman of the Water Orton Action Group, said:

"I would like to place on record the tremendous efforts from our MP Dan Byles and his team. He has fought tirelessly against the odds to try and prevent this railway coming through the Borough and has stated he will even vote against his own party if necessary to stop this. This is the spirit we all need and instead of blaming any political group we should be all pulling together to rid ourselves of this railway, for which there is no business case, no environmental case and we the taxpayers will have to pay for it."

The first phase of the HS2 route was first announced at the start of 2010 by the then Labour transport minister Lord Adonis. Last Monday in the House of Commons, the Labour Shadow Secretary of State for Transport Maria Eagle said:

"I assure the Secretary of State and the House that (Labour) are 100% behind this project. We want to see the line built, and we will continue to offer cross-party support, which will include helping to ensure that the necessary legislation reaches the statute book. I know that the Secretary of State faces considerable challenges in securing the support of colleagues on his side of the House. I have spent much of today defending the project in interviews opposite Conservative Members. I hope and assume that the right hon. Gentleman's lengthy experience as Chief Whip will come in handy when it comes to quelling the rebellions."


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