From LBH
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Category Archives: Local issues
Breakspear Road South works 27-29 Oct
A note from HS2:
Please note that the scope of works for the utility surveys has changed. The works were originally intended to be utility trial trenches. However we have been able to change these works to Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) surveys and pavement cores, which will be less disruptive as they can be completed in a shorter time span and are less intrusive. The works will still take place within the half term window but from Friday 27 October to Sunday 29 October.
GPR uses radar pulses to create a profile of what the ground looks like beneath the surface, including the presence of voids which indicate the presence of utilities. Pavement core involves coring a small piece of the road and sending it for examination and laboratory testing to determine its make-up.
We apologise for the change to what we previously notified you about and any inconvenience this may cause.
HS2 website for Hillingdon
HS2 has a website dedicated to Hillingdon. It explains the background to the project and what HS2 will be doing to ameliorate its impact on us. It invites questions from the public and will publish its responses (presumably, to the questions it wants to answer).
The Harvil Road protest against HS2
The Green Party and fellow activists are protesting about HS2 ripping out trees in Harefield. Five of them have spent the night under a digger, to prevent further damage and an eventual environmental catastrophe for Harefield and surrounding areas.
While the Ickenham Residents’ Association avoids political positioning, we feel that this ongoing story may interest many of our members. To keep track of what’s going on please check in with Get West London.
Boring locations (HS2 holes, that is)
Apologies for lack of detail but this is the area to the north of The Greenway and Hoylake Crescent. Each blob appears to be a bore hole as described in the previous news update. If I get more information, I’ll add it to this post.
[ 22 Sep ]
Here are the symbols and legends (you can now click on the map above to see a larger version):
Nick Hurd MP, on HS2 in our area
Some of this overlaps with the recent announcements from LBH, but it also contains a wider perspective from the Nick Hurd perspective. The sharp-eyed among you will notice some words missing from the end; please add, “…I respect that my working assumption is that it will go ahead, and therefore we need to keep working on this agreement to give ourselves the best possible protection.”
Hillingdon and HS2: Updates
If you ever need the Council’s public low-down on HS2 please go to:
http://www.hillingdon.gov.uk/article/23081/High-speed-rail-updates
PS (next day) If you f0llowed the above link, you’d know that the HS2/LBH Agreement was signed off on 17th August and has now been published on line.
If you didn’t follow the link, it is 79 pages in length and to summarise:
- It is now a legal agreement that both parties are obliged to implement to the best of their abilities.
- Everything we expected is included and in the circumstances, it is as good as we could have expected.
- There is a lot that is caveated by being subject to “reasonable endeavours” and that the real impacts will depend on HS2’s commitment (and the Contractors) to doing things properly rather than just cheaply or through expedience.
- There will be a lot of onus on the residents and the Council to hold HS2 to account and push them for the best implementations in the interest of the community.
- There are risks associated with the agreement on HOAC, but the Council appears to have that under control.
We have approached Nick Hurd and he has given us his whole hearted support in our need to improve the unsatisfactory situation with the HS2 Community Engagement Team (CET). He has obtained a commitment from HS2 to improve many aspects of the CET’s performance and we await the outcome of those actions.
We will keep you up to date with developments via the Ickenham Residents’ Association web site, but there is no scope for change to the Agreement now it has been signed off.
Anonymous letters: please don’t
We occasionally get anonymous letters sent to us. If you want us to take you seriously, please provide your details – name and how we can contact you at the very least.
Thank you.
HS2 Gas Diversions Ickenham/Harefield
HS2 has provided details of the impact of gas diversions: HS2 Briefing Note – Gas diversions in the Harefield and Ickenham area (It’s a pdf containing tables.)
Air Quality and HS2
A note from HS2:
Please see Information Paper E31, which outlines the commitments HS2 has given to manage the potential impacts of the scheme on air quality. Air quality is being monitored along the line of route. This will include monitoring nitrogen dioxide around highways used by construction traffic and construction dust around areas of construction works. Both of these types of monitoring will be undertaken in the LB Hillingdon. We are currently in discussion with Hillingdon Council to agree locations.
Further details on HS2’s commitments to data sharing are given in section 4.3 of the Code of Construction Practice
Ickenham Residents' Association 