Environmental and community groups invited to HS2 'green summit'

Date: 7/3/2013

Transport Minister Simon Burns has invited a number of environmental and community groups to attend a 'green summit' in regards to plans for the HS2 line.

As the Daily Telegraph reports, the event is designed to facilitate debate over the potential impact that the high-speed project could have on the environment, with the Government looking to allay fears that specific areas along the route will suffer as the initiative is implemented.

While the authorities have boasted that HS2 will be the "greenest high speed railway in the world," numerous organisations have claimed that it poses a very real threat to rural areas and local communities.

Indeed, the Campaign to Protect Rural England is among the groups that have been invited to the summit, with its members having voiced concerns over the impact the high-speed line will have on the countryside.

The Transport Minister conceded that there will be environmental consequences of the project, but that the Government is working to deliver the route in a way that addresses various concerns as effectively as possible.

"Building a national railway cannot be done without any environmental effects," he explained.

"However, we are absolutely committed to delivering this vital project in the most responsible way for local communities and the environment. This key summit is an important part of achieving that."

Previous consultations on the first phase of HS2 saw the amount of tunnelling between London and Birmingham increased from 14.5 miles to 22.5 miles, while the length of line on embankments or viaducts was reduced to 40 miles as plans were adjusted in response to various requests. 

HS2 continues to be a major topic of debate, and last month business leaders in North Staffordshire called for a station to be built in the area along the high-speed line.

"Our business case shows there are real economic benefits and transport benefits," Jane Gratton from the North Staffordshire Chamber of Commerce told the Sunday Politics show in the West Midlands.

Posted by Sarah Bailey

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