HS2: For or against?

[whole diary]

[JayMac]

From the Coventry Telegraph:

Row over funding to fight HS2^▸ (The next High Speed line(s)) plan

A ROW has developed over thousands of pounds of taxpayers^ money pledged to fight the HS2 train line set to cut through Warwickshire.

Councils have ploughed money into a ^1,175,000 fighting fund as an alliance of local authorities along the route seek to challenge the government^s case for the 250mph London-to-Birmingham line.

Tory MP^▸ (Member of Parliament, or Mile Post - a method of measuring the railway in miles and chains from a starting point - usually London, depending on context) Graham Evans has complained to the Audit Commission after Warwick District Council put forward ^100,000 ^ despite making ^300,000 of cuts this year.

Warwickshire County Council is known to have pledged ^50,000, with consultants fees and legal advice already swallowing up ^40,000 of that in their fight against HS2.

The fighting fund is run by 51m; an alliance of eighteen local authorities fighting the ^34billion plan, and was joined by Coventry City Council last week.

North Warwickshire Borough Council and Stratford District Council are also part of the 51m group but have not pledged money.

MP Graham Evans says the pledge of money by the two councils is illegal as it breaks rules which ban the running of campaigns using taxpayers^ money to influence the view of the public on a matter of policy.

But campaigners and councillors have hit back. Councillor Michael Doody, leader of Warwick District Council, said: ^The HS2 funding was met from the council^s reserves and contingency budget.

^The HS2 funding is a one-off cost which the council was able to contain within the specific funding, whilst the savings required to be found are recurring."

[mjones]

Here's a response to the Taxpayer's Alliance report:
http://www.campaignforhsr.com/response-to-the-taxpayers%e2%80%99-alliance-report-%e2%80%98the-hidden-costs-of-hs2%e2%80%99


Also worth looking at this for an alternative view of the earlier IEA report (mentioned in the press articles):


http://www.campaignforhsr.com/background-briefing-on-the-iea%E2%80%99s-hs2-report

"The co-author, Kyn Aizlewood, does not disclose that his views are clearly effected by the close proximity of his house to the proposed rail route and that he is a member of an anti-HS2^▸ (The next High Speed line(s)) action group"

I struggle to see how the conclusions, as quoted in the press at least, could come from someone with a good understanding of the railway, as some of the key arguments, e.g. treating the cost of Crossrail 2 as a cost of HS2, and the silly comment about cutting local services, demonstrate either a woeful lack of understanding, or, worse stil, a deliberate intention to mislead. There are some good arguments against HS2, but not these.