Organisers of the Government’s planned high speed rail scheme say they expect to meet some of the fiercest opposition in rural Warwickshire.
A touring road show of experts from HS2 Ltd, the company behind the plans for the 225mph rail link, has arrived in the Midlands for the first time.
Dozens of people attended the day-long event in Hodge Hill, in Birmingham, and were able to examine the impact on their homes by looking at interactive maps and listening to a simulation of the noise of the 400-metre long, double decker trains.
Miranda Carter, head of consultation for HS2, said the plans were likely to come under particularly close scrutiny in towns and villages including Ladbroke, Southam, Kenilworth, Burton Green and Balsall Common.
“This consultation goes right up the country from very urban London in some rural areas, in to Birmingham and a bit beyond and the mood and atmosphere have been very different at the events we have held, even across the Chilterns,” she said.
“We are very keen that people come along before they take part in the consultation.
“We have assembled experts, engineers, people who know about property and the economists who have worked on the business case.
“We want people to come along, ask the questions and find out about the project from the people who took part in creating it.
Mrs Carter insisted that all of the details of the £17 billion first phase of the high speed network linking Birmingham to London in under 50 minutes could still be influenced by the consultation process.
“Because this project is so big we have gone for quite a strategic consultation where people can really have their say on strategy and the route itself from London to the West Midlands,” she added.
“If the project moves forward there will be a lot of detail over the next couple of years and an opportunity for people to get involved at that stage again.”
Business leaders from Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce this week met with former Transport Secretary Lord Adonis to hear the economic case for the route restated.
