If you believe that HS2 cannot meet its stated objective of delivering “..hugely enhanced capacity and connectivity between our major conurbations”, then please call on Government to commission an independent technical review of the project.
Details are here: https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/171945
The broad brush is, “We call on HM Government to commission an independent technical review of every aspect of the HS2 scheme to determine how and why this failure has happened.”
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.
If you are interested in reading our HS2 petition to the House of Lords Select Committee, you’ll find it on pages 27-34 of this document. Others look out for are:
Document 1: Beryl Upton, and many others, pages 40-43; Eric Gustavson, pages 281-284
Document 2: The Drive/Uxbridge Golf Course, pages 66-74;
Document 3: Matt Semple, and many others, pages 19-21; Mary Cockerell, and many others, pages 42-48; Brian Cable, pages 54-60
Document 4: London Borough of Hillingdon, pages 384 to 389
Document 5: North Uxbridge Residents Association pages 74-75
All bar the LBH will appear on 21st November between 14:00 and 17:30
[Update: 10th November: Four more petitions have been squeezed into an already tight slot.]
LBH is scheduled for 17th November – time slot still unknown.
If you are willing and able, please attend these sessions. The more of us who turn up in support, the greater the influence on the Select Committee. Thank you.
HS2 will be holding an Information Event between 3 pm and 9 pm Ickenham Village Hall tomorrow, November 3. We will have a stand there and will on hand to answer questions, suggest questions to ask HS2 and listen to your feedback.
The more of you that come and share your views with us, the better informed and prepared we’ll be when we present to the House of Lords Select Committee.
Some things to bear in mind (quoting from an earlier email):
“The government has reneged on its commitment to fund the relocation of HOAC. As it stands HOAC will close down.”
“Also, the Secretary of State will not agree to extension of tunnel.”
“This does not bode well for us trying to get improvements for the community.”
We have to keep on pushing as hard as possible for decision reversals and mitigation.
See you there?
We’ve received a letter from HS2’s engagement team about ground inspections due to start next week. If you need to engage, details are at the foot of the email:
Dear all,
Please note that the Ground Investigation (GI) works that were discussed at the HS2 information event on Thursday 13 October are due to commence next week. As a result of the GI, you may notice the following:
• Background noise from the drilling of boreholes or digging of the trial pits and use of water pumps.
• Hoarding around ground investigation sites.
• Contractor vehicle movements to and from the sites.If you have any further questions, please do not hesitate to contact me.
Kind regards
Matt
________________________________________
Matthew Edgar | Engagement Manager | HS2 Ltd
Tel: 020 7944 5138 | Mobile: 07769 624611 | Matthew.edgar@hs2.org.uk | Facebook | Twitter | LinkedIn
High Speed Two (HS2) Limited, 5th Floor, Sanctuary Buildings, 20 Great Smith Street, London SW1P 3BT | www.gov.uk/hs2
Transport for London and the Mayor, Sadiq Khan, is seeking views on proposals to introduce a new £10 daily Emission Surcharge (also known as the “T-charge”) in 2017. This would be for cars, vans, minibus and heavy vehicles registered in 2005 and older. This would be in addition to the Congestion Charge.
They would also like your views on changes to the Ultra-Low Emission Zone (ULEZ), a separate scheme that will replace the Emissions Surcharge and will have stricter emissions standards for vehicles. These changes include:
• Introducing a central London ULEZ in 2019 rather than 2020
• Extending the zone up to the North and South Circular in 2019 or later
• Extending the zone London-wide for heavy vehicles only in 2019 or later
The main link is here: tfl.gov.uk/airquality-consultation
If you want to go straight to the survey, click here.
The consultation ends on Sunday 18 December.
HS2 Ltd has announced that it will be holding Information Events between 3 pm and 9 pm in St Giles Church Hall, Ickenham on October 13 and Ickenham Village Hall on November 3. They wish to present their conclusions resulting from the Hillingdon Traffic Study carried out with Transport for London (TfL) and London Borough of Hillingdon.
HS2 believes it can reduce the maximum daily peak of HGV vehicles to 550 and with signalisation on Swakeleys roundabout this, in their opinion, will be manageable. HS2 also believes, subject to certain conditions, that it can reduce the amount of spoil to be dumped on the fields between Harvil Road and Breakspear Road South by re-using the spoil in the building of the new Harvil Road bridge and Uxbridge golf course. It will also re-use spoil from the West Ruislip tunnel portal on Ruislip golf course.
These efforts were as a result of the petitioning last year by Ickenham residents to the House of Commons Select Committee and political pressure from our council leader and local MPs.
We, of course, welcome any improvements in mitigation but do not share their optimism that our local roads can support HS2’s construction activities. Its plans still require over 100,000 HGV vehicle movements on roads which today cannot support the daily commuter traffic and already suffer high levels of air pollution. In addition to the construction sites in Harvil Road, Breakspear Road South and Ickenham High Road (West Ruislip) – which in themselves will cause traffic congestion – there will be significant utility works in West End Road Ruislip, construction sites in Harefield and West Hyde. We know, from the National Grid utility works in Breakspear Road South in July/August this year, that any work by any party can cause horrendous congestion.
Our position remains that no HGV vehicles should be allowed on our suburban roads, through our shopping centre, along commuter, bus and school routes and known accident black spots. The traffic modelling upon which HS2 Ltd is basing its conclusions has not yet been agreed with TfL, LBH and our Residents Association and is unlikely to conclude until next year. The traffic numbers could change. It was our opinion that, until there was more substantive evidence, these conclusions were premature and should not be presented to the residents.
We are also disappointed that HS2 Ltd still wants to build and run concrete factories on the Green Belt by Harvil Road. We do not believe this is environmentally sound – the risks of environmental pollution are too great. We believe best practice would be to bring in the finished concrete tunnel supports from existing factories which have been proven to be environmentally safe. HS2 Ltd has agreed that this alternative would not create additional traffic.
The Ickenham Residents Association will have a stand in the HS2 Information Event and we thank HS2 Ltd for this opportunity. Please come and meet us.
HS2 is holding two ‘information-sharing events’ for Ickenham residents in October and November.
Here’s a summary:
HS2 has been trying to identify ways of reducing HGV traffic movements in the West Ruislip and Ickenham area, in particular, the peak two-way HGV movements from 1060 to a maximum of 550 per day at Swakeleys Roundabout.
Its report sets out its proposals, plus ways to significantly reduce sustainable placement of surplus excavated materials on land between Harvil Road and Breakspear Road South.
If you want to preview what it will be presenting, the summary report is at: www.gov.uk/government/publications/hillingdon-traffic-study-summary-report
The invites are very similar, click on one to download it:
3rd November 3-9pm Village Hall
James Nadal has written a good piece on the road layout proposals in Hillingdon is Here. It explains proposals from LBH’s consultation with experts.
The Association has responded, as you might expect.
This has just come in from Hillingdon Neighbourhood Watch:
Breakspear Road South will be closed from Breakspear Road to the junction with Swakeleys Road for six weeks from 20th July until 4th September for major GAS work.
This will obviously have a major impact on traffic flow in the area.
[ And something that HS2 could learn much from – Ed ]
Ickenham Residents' Association 