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Transport Secretary Philip Hammond is in no doubt about the overwhelming opposition in Buckinghamshire to plans for the High Speed 2 (HS2) rail link through the Chilterns, following talks with Buckinghamshire County Council Cabinet members Valerie Letheren and Martin Tett.

They spoke with Mr Hammond at a meeting sponsored by Chesham and Amersham MP Cheryl Gillan on Wednesday (September 22). The purpose of the meeting was to allow Mr Hammond to hear first hand from local representatives and organisations their views on the Coalition Government's HS2 proposal.

'We fully support investment in our transport infrastructure but believe that this is the wrong strategy,' said Valerie Letheren, Cabinet Member for Transportation.  'The business case just doesn’t add up.  Additionally, investment in this project is money not spent on improving existing roads and rail services across the country. I called upon Mr Hammond to fully review this entire proposal.'

Martin Tett, Cabinet Member for Planning and Environment, said: 'He was left in no doubt about the strength of local opinion on this topic.  The Chilterns are a designated Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) which should be protected for the nation.  I called upon this Government to honour its pre-election commitment to review all possible routes, including the alternative West Coast main line and M1 corridors.'

The county council adopted a policy on April 22 opposing the HS2 project, rejecting the business case, and calling for protection of the Chilterns AONB.  It has supported local protest groups, organised a series of summit meetings on the proposal, and recently took local members, parish councillors and residents to see the HS1 route in Kent, where they heard about the problems caused by the route, and in particular the construction work.

Full consultation on the Coalition Government’s preferred route will commence in early 2011, but in the meantime further work needs to be done on both the business case and mitigation measures on the preferred route, admitted Mr Hammond.

'I would call upon all residents to write to Mr Hammond and their local MPs opposing this schemem,' said Mrs Letheren.