Proposed route of HS2 - staight through BE events!

Pidgeon

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Not sure if any of you are aware of the destruction this will cause not only to the countryside, people's lives etc but that it is also proposed to go straight through Stafford BE course!
 

Carefreegirl

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There was a lady getting signatures a while back for Aston le walls area and also the grafyon hunt team chase site. I signed everytime I saw her, she had pages and pages but sadly it seems to no avail.

People in the papers today that use the current route saying its only going to cut about 15 minutes off a 2.5 hr journey so pointless.
 

GinaGeo

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It's going to be running about 1/4 mile away from our house and some friend's will have practically in their backgarden. We're on the "second" leg, so hoping it gets axed before it reaches us. Really not sure why it's needed.
 

JustKickOn

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It's going through the bridle way where I hack, my work and about 1/4 mile from my house. It has to go somewhere if they go ahead and that means upsetting people..
 

stencilface

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Hope they scrap the damn thing, totally unneeded and a huge waste of money!

It is and it isn't, it will keep a lot of people employed, and a lot of families out of trouble for many years. Its sad that we will lose bits of the countryside, but we can only hope that in very sensitive areas, and/or places there is a lot of resistance that they choose to tunnel it as they plan to do through the Cotswolds AONB (aren't they?). There will still be a fair bit of leeway in the actual alignment I would imagine - I say this having walked 6, yes 6, 3 km sections of highway (doing transects 10m apart, so no small job!) for one infrastructure project so they could get the alignment that was the path of least resistance. :)
 

ester

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I do rather think that it's a good job the victorians just got on with it given that they 'littered' our 'countryside' with railways and wonder whether those who say it isn't needed are those that don't need it themselves.

I do suspect though that it won't take business out of london as suggested but just widen the commuter belt somewhat.

eta of course countryside can be replaced :confused: we do it all the time and most of the countryside in this country is manmade/managed anyway.
 

stencilface

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Yes, kind of, but then our 'countryside' is so man made and altered anyway, who's to say whats real really? Its just what we're used to currently. Pre 1950s, we didn't have the huge network of footpaths and bridleways we have now, afforded by all the disused railway lines that were created before then. After the initial upheaval of construction, access, and use of the countryside it passes through might be better?

I'm on the fence tbh, I can see both sides. The NIMBY in me wants to hate it, nothing wrong with being a nimby either, if you've don't look after whats on your doorstep who will? But then the logical side of me can see the pros. :confused:
 

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It is and it isn't, it will keep a lot of people employed, and a lot of families out of trouble for many years. Its sad that we will lose bits of the countryside, but we can only hope that in very sensitive areas, and/or places there is a lot of resistance that they choose to tunnel it as they plan to do through the Cotswolds AONB (aren't they?). There will still be a fair bit of leeway in the actual alignment I would imagine - I say this having walked 6, yes 6, 3 km sections of highway (doing transects 10m apart, so no small job!) for one infrastructure project so they could get the alignment that was the path of least resistance. :)

Thanks for that voice of reason Stencilface, I too don't really see why there is such an enormous opposition to this? It's called progress and modernisation. It will cause disruption and cut through some stunning landscape but what's the alternative? More cars on the road, heavier traffic, road widening schemes?
I wish there was another way but I do believe this is the best.
 

dressagelove

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It is and it isn't, it will keep a lot of people employed, and a lot of families out of trouble for many years. Its sad that we will lose bits of the countryside, but we can only hope that in very sensitive areas, and/or places there is a lot of resistance that they choose to tunnel it as they plan to do through the Cotswolds AONB (aren't they?). There will still be a fair bit of leeway in the actual alignment I would imagine - I say this having walked 6, yes 6, 3 km sections of highway (doing transects 10m apart, so no small job!) for one infrastructure project so they could get the alignment that was the path of least resistance. :)

Do you not think there is a stronger economic case for investing £33 bill in low carbon infrastructure and environment? That will generate many jobs and be longer lasting for the future. I am completely against it even though we did a project it on this year at uni! We were taught and assessed by a top consultant whose consultancy (URS) is working on the EIA, and he was clearly in favour of it. He was giving us all the benefits of it, but for me it falls completely flat. No economic case for it, no environmental case for it, and no social case for it. Completely unsustainable I think!!
 

GinaGeo

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But that's the problem with it, it won't benefit those of us in the countryside. It would still take me over an hour to get to the nearest station despite the ruddy track being less than a 10 minute walk away. So a commute to London would still be totally unviable.

At least the Victorian railways actually benefited the people in the Countryside, it linked towns and villages together and each village had a station. The HS2 is only a benefit if you actually live in a city in the first place...

I wouldn't mind it going "through my backyard" quite so much if it would make travel easier for me - it won't...
 

ester

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can you define low carbon infrastructure please DL?

eta I know it won't benefit those in the countryside :confused: that isn't the intention. as an aside I have enjoyed watching the history of railways recently with regards to the building of the victorian lines, the financing, non profit making lines being built anyway etc. anyway I digress!
 
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dressagelove

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can you define low carbon infrastructure please DL?

eta I know it won't benefit those in the countryside :confused: that isn't the intention. as an aside I have enjoyed watching the history of railways recently with regards to the building of the victorian lines, the financing, non profit making lines being built anyway etc. anyway I digress!

Low carbon infrastructure is essentially just everything we need, everything we use now, but minus/massively reduce the carbon emission currently emitted! So, more efficient heating in houses, renewable energy/nuclear as opposed to fossil fuels, electric/gas powered vehicles as opposed to diesel and petrol etc etc. HS2 was supposed to fall into the low carbon bracket, because it was supposed to save car emissions and aviation emissions, but research has shown that demographically people will not shift to using HS2 for a variety of reasons, and therefore the construction of it will have a massive environmental impact, but its life use will not cancel out said impacts.

Sorry, I am a complete climate change and carbon nut :D it's what I am (im)patiently desperate to work in! Which should be by the end of this year once I have finished my MSc, woohoo!
 

ester

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thanks, for some reason I wasn't sure in my head if it was just transport.

Trouble is noone wants renewable energy developments near their houses either ;)
 

dressagelove

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thanks, for some reason I wasn't sure in my head if it was just transport.

Trouble is noone wants renewable energy developments near their houses either ;)

I LOVE wind farms :D think they are fabby. Would you rather have a wind turbine and solar panal on your roof/backyard or 20 times more coal fired power stations or nuclear power stations? I don't understand people, they want the benefits, but aren't willing to pay the prices!
 

GinaGeo

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Nothing wrong with solar panels or wind turbines. We have solar panels on our roof and our local farmer has a huge great wind turbine. The solar panels benefit us greatly and I imagine the wind turbine does our local farmer. We also have a local wind farm which again I don't mind.

I fully understand that infrastructure has to evolve and progress I just don't think this is quite what we need?
 

ester

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there have been 3 proposals for wind farms within a 3ish mile radius of my parents house, all strongly opposed (2 rejected one gone to appeal I think) and lots of moaning about a local solar field too... oh and the local nuclear power station rebuilding.. No pleasing a lot of people and no I don't understand it either a lot of the time!

Fwiw my railway geek ex reckons the money should be spent adding extra lines on current routes, reopening the fourways that were closed for economic reasons and improving the rolling stock so that all carriages can actually be attached to all trains. (Oh and better broadband for E-meetings ;) )
 

stencilface

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I LOVE wind farms :D think they are fabby. Would you rather have a wind turbine and solar panal on your roof/backyard or 20 times more coal fired power stations or nuclear power stations? I don't understand people, they want the benefits, but aren't willing to pay the prices!

I also love windfarms, but can't help thinking they are a sticking plaster for a gushing artery, not sufficient and a short term measure that looks good.

Your last point kind of exactly explains why we need the HS2 if our infrastructure is to keep up with a bigger population and greater commuting of people to work into employment hubs from areas further out with cheaper housing etc :)
 

dressagelove

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I also love windfarms, but can't help thinking they are a sticking plaster for a gushing artery, not sufficient and a short term measure that looks good.

Your last point kind of exactly explains why we need the HS2 if our infrastructure is to keep up with a bigger population and greater commuting of people to work into employment hubs from areas further out with cheaper housing etc :)

I am not actually against HS2, if there was shown to be a decent case for it! I totally agree it is needed. But unfortunately it will take too long to build and it's not overall viable. The Japs could probably have it built in 10years and make it profitable but this country can't do anything well!
I know what you mean about wind farms, but they are part of the solution. Once the renewable technology has improved, I see a future of solar panals on EVERY house (plus a small turbine if viable) to power each house! Every house will then have it's own power supply and you can charge your electric car up from your own personal power supply :D Nuclear will be super safe and will pick up the slack... :D I am an eternal optimist when it comes to the environment.
 

Molasses

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I am an eternal optimist when it comes to the environment.

i could kiss you :p
i work in one of the low carbon industries you mention and i'm so tired and world weary of NIMBY's who ring me full of self righteous ranting everyday. I too started as an optimist trying to do my bit for a sustainable future. But the NIMBY's nearly have me beaten
I'd recommend anyone watch the film "The Age of Stupid" and think a little about the not in my backyard attitude.
 

GinaGeo

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Fwiw my railway geek ex reckons the money should be spent adding extra lines on current routes, reopening the fourways that were closed for economic reasons and improving the rolling stock so that all carriages can actually be attached to all trains. (Oh and better broadband for E-meetings ;) )

Now that would make more sense to me. We have a railway line locally already, it's only small and is closer than the HS2 will be, but you can't get a train anywhere useful at a useful time from it. If I could use the train to get to work I would as I'm paying for parking and petrol so it would be more economical; however it would take me 2 hours to make what would, by car, be a 25 minute journey.
 

stencilface

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i could kiss you :p
i work in one of the low carbon industries you mention and i'm so tired and world weary of NIMBY's who ring me full of self righteous ranting everyday. I too started as an optimist trying to do my bit for a sustainable future. But the NIMBY's nearly have me beaten
I'd recommend anyone watch the film "The Age of Stupid" and think a little about the not in my backyard attitude.

There is a half sized turbine 2 fields away from my back garden, I like it - quite hypnotic tbh! My parents have solar panels and my dad is quite obsessed with telling everyone how much they've sold back to the grid :)

Ask me tomorrow and I'll argue the other side of HS2, fickle, moi :rolleyes: :)
 

dressagelove

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i could kiss you :p
i work in one of the low carbon industries you mention and i'm so tired and world weary of NIMBY's who ring me full of self righteous ranting everyday. I too started as an optimist trying to do my bit for a sustainable future. But the NIMBY's nearly have me beaten
I'd recommend anyone watch the film "The Age of Stupid" and think a little about the not in my backyard attitude.

Yes, fortunately I have youth and passion still on my side. Give it 10 years and I'm sure I may be getting rather tired and disillusioned too. Just hope I can make and see a difference to keep me going with my love of it :)

Keep going, I for one think you are doing a BRILLIANT job :) :)
 

Maesfen

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. Pre 1950s, we didn't have the huge network of footpaths and bridleways we have now, afforded by all the disused railway lines that were created before then.:

Yes we did. Hundreds of the paths were in existence long before railways even existed as a means of people getting to work, to the next village and to church. They were never made for leisure (unless you count walking to the pub after work) as they are now. When most paths were mapped in the '50s, each parish was asked to detail their own paths but many parishes just ignored the order so that they wouldn't have the problem of paths crossing their land or they got groups like the local Scouts to do it and they only did the ones they knew. If all parishes had done their job properly then you wouldn't have needed the redundant tracks as paths as all towns and villages had tracks to the nearest villages which interconnected.

I just feel sorry for the people whose houses and land have been devalued by this monstrosity. I could understand it if our country was vast but it isn't, it's tiny. Is it really worth the expense and upheaval so that someone can knock an hour off their journey, where's the sense in that? If they're spending that much money it should benefit the whole country such as the NHS or improve the present transport system and roads.
 
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