New petition launches uniting anti-HS2 movements: “Stop work on HS2 immediately and hold a new vote to repeal the legislation”
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Chris Packham and other anti-HS2 campaigners unite to back petition
to revoke HS2 legislation that was passed using misleading
information Campaigners urge Government to abandon HS2 and prevent
further ecological destruction A new petition has launched today
lead by Chris Packham with signatures from the campaign leaders
across the key groups opposed to High Speed Two (HS2). The petition
calls for the Government to stop wasting taxpayers’ money on HS2
and...Request free trial
A new petition has launched today lead by Chris Packham with signatures from the campaign leaders across the key groups opposed to High Speed Two (HS2). The petition calls for the Government to stop wasting taxpayers’ money on HS2 and to hold a new vote to repeal the existing legislation. The petition will reveal the growing level of opposition against HS2 from up and down the country. The lead signatories are: Chris Packham CBE, the naturalist, television presenter, writer and campaigner; Michael Mansfield QC, a leading human rights and civil liberties barrister and head of chambers at Nexus Chambers; Richard Walker, Managing Director of Iceland Foods, charity trustee and Ambassador for the Wildlife Trusts; Doug Thornton, FRICS, former HS2 Ltd Land & Property Director; Jonathan Loescher, who raised complaints about HS2’s acquisition of his home and business in 2015 to the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman, who found “HS2 Ltd’s actions fell below the reasonable standards we would expect, so much so that they constituted maladministration”. The petition demonstrates the growing opposition to the project across a number of campaign groups. For the first time, the petition will unite the anti-HS2 movement, with the ultimate aim of invigorating Parliament to re-assess HS2 in the post-Covid economy and eventually face up to reality and cancel the entire project. The HS2 project has seen growing opposition, with the costs spiralling to an estimated £108 billion. Independent research by Lord Berkeley has shown that this cost could rise even higher to £170 billion. Anger and frustration have grown as the Government has continued to maintain its commitment to the project, despite the rising costs and ongoing pandemic. The petition has been launched to set out the arguments against HS2 and draw attention to the growing opposition to the project. The signatories set out a number of key reasons, including:
Chris Packham said: “'In the face of our climate, environment and pandemic emergencies, our government and judiciary are failing us. Projects like HS2, Heathrow Airport's expansion and a vast new road building programme take us further away from where we need be, and time is rapidly running out. The world has changed dramatically since MPs voted on HS2 back in 2016. HS2 takes us further away from achieving Net Zero by 2050, it destroys a vast swathe of irreplaceable wildlife habitats and squanders a colossal amount of taxpayer's money on a business case that was bankrupt even before Covid, and that has now spiralled to double the cost MPs voted upon. Add to this our economic crisis, and we can see that MPs should be given the power to reconsider HS2 and vote again on whether this disaster project should continue, be rethought, or scrapped entirely.” Michael Mansfield said: “HS2 has become a vanity project for politicians bereft of policy. You would have thought that, if nothing else, the message of the pandemic would have made it abundantly clear that this project unwanted and frankly irrelevant. Yet, the Government continue to insist on protecting it. Stop the endless exploitation of scarce environmental, economic and human resources.” Richard Walker said: “The £100bn+ HS2 vanity project did not show a return for the taxpayer even before Covid-19 blew all assumptions about the UK’s future travel needs out of the water. Its cost to nature and the environment is completely unacceptable, and its supposed regional economic benefits illusory: it would simply suck more jobs and prosperity out of the North. We should ditch this white elephant now and invest in better cross-country rail links and high-speed broadband instead.” Jonathan Loescher said: “Since the route of HS2 was announced in 2010 it was clear landowners should be dealt with in a fair, honest and transparent manner. Instead HS2 Ltd has been deaf to the issues faced by those impacted by the scheme. HS2 Ltd has administered an arduous, convoluted and frequently delayed compensation process. As a result of this behaviour, HS2 is leaving an epidemic of mental health issues up and down the line in its wake. The inbox of MPs in constituencies affected will be full of these issues. If HS2 cannot work with property owners and residents affected by the scheme with honesty, respect and transparency, as we were promised, Parliament must have the opportunity to re-assess the project.” Doug Thornton said: “Having experienced the deceit HS2 used to obtain Royal Assent first hand it has always been the proper thing, and entirely in the public interest, to speak of the fraud. Parliament was badly misled and taxpayers’ funds are being badly abused by this rogue organisation. In the current economic crisis, or at any other time for that matter, taxpayers really do expect better.” ### About the Petition: Stop work on HS2 immediately and hold a new vote to repeal the legislation We ask Parliament to repeal the High Speed Rail Bills, 2016 and 2019, as MPs voted on misleading environmental, financial and timetable information provided by the Department of Transport and HS2 Ltd. It fails to address the conditions of the Paris Accord and costs have risen from £56bn to over £100bn. Our environment and economy are in peril. HS2 is destroying nature and inflicting suffering on businesses and property owners. Government is investing in an inept and recklessly run project, offering poor value for money. HS2 will not reach Net Zero by 2050 nor help us level up the North. The pandemic has changed how we work forever and invalidated the business case. Given the climate emergencies we face, and now the economic and pandemic crises - Parliament must vote to repeal the legislation. Click this link to sign the petition: https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/563380 |