Ease of access to the M42 must have sent the value of these houses skyrocketing; shame HS2 had to come along and make them worthless.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-stoke-staffordshire-26951860

This scheme will go ahead regardless.

There is no business case, but there is money to be made, hence the scheme will be bulldozed through to the detriment of the countryside and to the detriment of common sense. The tax payer will, (yet again) be stitched up like a kipper in the name of profitability.

Shame on them all!

After the rejig of the travel time from Manchester - London the saving in that regard isn't something to get overly excited about. After all there is currently another TOC doing a fairly quick service to London that doesn't stop at many places and there are others who make more frequent stops to allow more people the opportunity to travel to London. As rebbonk points out it will involve more destruction of the countryside. Is there not a big enough loss of green belt with housing estates? Then there is is the very obvious question on how is it being funded from the money pot. Of course, ultimately it has to come from the taxpayer. Of the vast majority of people that use the railway network what percentage of railway passengers would really gain a huge benefit beyond posh, new trains whizzing through the countryside. Where would the profits come in and who would actually get them?

We have to look ahead into the future with travel, building of new homes and energy, however, the impact on the environment, people and costs needs to be with the future in mind rather than living for the glory of the moment.

HS2 continues its slow progress through parliament: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-27184269

Bl**dy shameful!

There are over 800 comments on the BBC site, mostly in the negative to this grand folly.

It really is time that the government represented what the people want in true democratic style, not the pseudo democracy that we have in this country.

I also love that statement that people will be "fairly compensated". - Who on earth can put a value on the destruction of a home that has taken years to build. These imbeciles know the price of everything, but the value of nothing!

A reporter on the Beeb pointed out this morning that the Bill will not actually become law until after the general election!

MPs are now looking at HS2; maybe the whole thing will eventually just run out of steam (boom boom tching): http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-28112214

I don't think so Lex, someone stands to make a lot of money out of this project. Follow the money and you'll find the guilty parties!

Warwickshire County Council are kicking up a fuss; no doubt several councillors will benefit from any infrastructure projects related to HS2: http://news.warwickshire.gov.uk/blog/2014/10/27/county-council-heads-to-parliament-over-hs2/

There appears to be no limit to the extensions allowed at Ettington Chace Conference centre.The original lovely old building is completely overwhelmed by the sprawl of the ugly.
What chance have the villagers?

HS2's getting a grilling in the House of Lords, and it's not popular their either: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-birmingham-34274987

Good to see a couple of the Lords have their head screwed on right. As for Blackstone...



Stupid woman! How on earth can there be a case for it if the arguments are neither 'clear nor robust'? You make a case for something by using clear and robust arguments!

Cllr Vaudry seems to like the idea of linking Stratford to HS2. I'd bet it would be a different matter if it disrupted his wedding venue: http://stratfordobserver.co.uk/news/direct-rail-link-from-stratford-to-birmingham-airport-in-pipeline-9130/

Always the case Lex.

[video=youtube;1bkoGvw9kbA]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1bkoGvw9kbA&feature=player_embedded[/video]


The HS2 fly-through animation of the Phase One route between Birmingham Curzon Street and London Euston was developed by HS2 Ltd using the project’s engineering and environmental data.

I was fairly neutral about HS2, but if all that can be done is cut 30 minutes off the journey between London & Crewe, the effort and cost don't seem worth it: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-34958154