The Ickenham Residents’ Association, along with other petitioners from Ickenham, will be presenting from 2 pm on Monday November 21 to the House of Lords HS2 Select Committee. We all would appreciate your support when we present. The public have access to the Select Committee Room 4 – please allow 30 -40 minutes to get through security and make you way through the myriad passages in the House – there are lots of people who will be happy to give you directions.
The Association with many more Ickenham petitioners presented to the House of Commons Select Committee in June 2015; at that time we were all requesting that the tunnel be extended beyond the Colne Valley thereby saving Ickenham and our surrounding areas. Although we believe this is still the best option the Secretary of State for Transport has confirmed that there will be no tunnel extension; this was on same day that the Secretary of State also advised that HS2 will not fund the relocation of HOAC.
The House of Commons Select Committee in their final report did state that we deserved special mitigation particularly regarding the traffic and dumping of spoil. There has been a working group between HS2, LBH and TfL which has determined that based upon a number of conditions – all of which are uncertain – there is scope for reducing HGV lorries and dumping of some spoil.
We however do not consider this is good enough; it still puts over 100,000 HGVs down Swakeleys Road during the construction period with horrendous emissions. We still have 3 major construction sites, road closures due to utility works and concrete factories sited on green belt. HS2 Ltd have held 2 events in Ickenham to put a positive spin on this but nearly all attendees advised us afterwards that they were dissatisfied with HS2 ‘s proposals.
The London Borough of Hillingdon will be presenting to the Select Committee on November 17. They will be raising similar issues and of course the situation with HOAC.