High Speed 2 Rail (HS2) Initial update by County Councillor Matthew Ellis
| Below is the initial email update I sent out to 300 people in the area affected which I hope expresses my views. Matthew Ellis 06/04/10 |
You will no doubt have heard the news about the proposed High Speed Rail infrastructure project from London to Birmingham and then beyond using the existing West Coast Mainline. The proposal is a devastating blow to the countryside and some communities around Lichfield and Tamworth. It is planned to run through the eastern part of the Lichfield Rural East area I represent. This is my initial update and I intend to deal with this, information wise, in the same way as the Wind Turbines and Quarry updates by providing information when something significant happens or needs to happen. My position is to clearly oppose this project because of the impact it will have on the countryside around Lichfield and Tamworth and the people that live in the affected areas. It is difficult to see what alternative route could be found for the scheme to transit through this area, the only other alternative being to move it into the East Midlands. I do have doubts as to the principle in relation to whether a time saving of 20 to 30 minutes between London and Birmingham (although greater the further north (HS2) it would go) is necessary or worth £30billion (currently). I can’t envisage that level of funding being available even in the timescale proposed. For information, the national Conservative Party policy is to support the principle of High Speed Rail but reserve the right to alter the route and include Heathrow. Set out below is the draft timetable and then below that PDF maps and a detailed commentary I’ve put together on the route using a large scale hardcopy route map. |
Draft timetable |
Proposed route of railway line through LRE (PDF maps): |
Proposed route of railway line through LRE (commentary): Through Marl Pit Cross country 250 metres west past Oak Dairy Farm Through Shirral Drive150 metres west of junction with Drayton Lane. SD to go over railway Closing Drayton Lane 400 metres from Shirral junction. Diversion from DL, down SD and new road to rejoin existing DL for 350 metres to A453 junction west of railway. Through A453 100 metres east of junction with Drayton Lane. A453 to go over railway Cut through Wagoners Lane (Bangley Lane loop to close off by White Hose Farm) Through Rookery Lane 150 metres west of water ford (500 metres from Hints village centre). Road to go under railway NNW through old A5 (cutting off old A5) 100 metres SW of Bucks Head Farm Through new A5 150 metres north of Buck’s Head Farm. New A5 (800 metre stretch road re-alignment) to go over railway Through Flats Lane 150 metres south of junction with Kox’s Grave Lane. Road to go over railway NNW 200 metres west of Packinton Moor North 100 metres west of Horseley Brook Farm North through western side of Ingley Hill Farm North skirting western side of Freeford Home Farm Through A51 (by Bailey’s Beating) 300 metres from junction with Whittington Common Lane. Road to go over railway Whittington Common Lane to close off 150 metres from junction with A51. New road 400 metres east of A51/WCL via golf land to rejoin WCL 300 metres from current A51/WCL jct Through Darnford Lane 150 metres east of golf driving range. Road to go under railway New railway to go on 700 metre long viaduct (30 metres high) over A38 and existing rail line Through Enterprise Industrial Estate (land take) and on towards Curborough |
Information on blight The Background |