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HS2 Update from David Liddington MP

Update from David Liddington MP to constituents

Dear xxx,

I thought you would welcome an update on the HS2 Scheme.

As you are likely to be aware, the HS2 Select Committee has now starting sitting and will begin to hear from petitioners in September. The Select Committee have announced that they will hear petitions on a regional basis and will begin by hearing petitions from the Birmingham area before working south along the route. I do not believe it is likely that any petitions from Buckinghamshire will be heard until early 2015 at the very soonest.

I submitted two petitions (petition numbers 1012 and 1013). One of the petitions was a joint petition with Cheryl Gillan, MP for Chesham and Amersham, which specifically calls for an extended bored tunnel through the Chilterns AONB. The second petition covers wider constituency issues including compensation and traffic issues as well as specific mitigation requests for Dunsmore, Wendover Dean, Wendover, Stoke Mandeville, Aylesbury and Fairford Leys.

The HS2 Select Committee has a website where details of its public sessions are published as well as transcripts of its deliberations. The Committee’s website address is below.

Both STOP HS2 and the HS2 Action Alliance had their locus standi (right to appear before the Committee) challenged by HS2 Ltd. Following this announcement I wrote to Robert Syms MP, Chair of the Select Committee, to urge him to reject the Department for Transport’s challenges and I am pleased that the Select Committee decided to hear both the Action Alliance and STOP HS2’s petitions.

If you have submitted a petition I would encourage you to try and watch some of the Committee’s proceedings before you are due to appear before the Committee to try and get an understanding for how the Committee operates. I am happy to speak to any petitioner from my constituency about appearing in front of the Committee once we have greater clarity on when petitions from Buckinghamshire will be heard.

Turning to compensation, the Department for Transport has now announced a further consultation which closes on 30 September. The consultation document and details of how to respond can be viewed at the below link or alternatively I am happy to send you a hard copy.

https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/hs2-property-consultation-2014

The consultation specifically covers compensation for those who typically live 60 to 300m from HS2. The Department for Transport now proposes to offer people living 60 to 120m from HS2 the right to require the Government to purchase the property for its unblighted value or, alternatively, a cash payment to remain in their property. For those living 120 to 300m from the line a cash payment is proposed to provide some recognition of the loss that these people will suffer as a result of HS2. People living 120 – 300m from the line would not be able to require the Government to buy their property, though of course you could seek such improvements in your response to the consultation.

The Secretary of State for Transport has also confirmed that a Need to Sell Scheme will replace the Exceptional Hardship Scheme by the end of year. The Secretary of State has also said that the Need to Sell Scheme will be more generous than the Exceptional Hardship Scheme, however, until any detailed guidance is produced it is difficult to say who will be eligible.

I will be responding to the consultation and would encourage you to also respond to ensure your views are taken into account. I have already scheduled a meeting with the HS2 Action Alliance to discuss the proposals and have requested a meeting with the Secretary of State for Transport. I will also be speaking to local action groups, Parish Councils and individual constituents about the proposals to ensure I reflect their views as well as my own in my response.

Finally, on 31 July I took Sir David Higgins, Chairman of HS2 Ltd, on a tour of the constituency to show him some of the areas that will be affected by HS2. In the limited time available I took Sir David to London Road, Bacombe Lane, St Mary’s Church, Ellesborough Road and Nash Lee Lane in Wendover, to Old Risborough Road in Stoke Mandeville, to Oat Close in Hawkslade, to the Oxford Road and to Fairford Leys. I introduced him to key local HS2 campaigners who explained to him in detail the concerns and worries of local residents about HS2.

I was pleased that Sir David accepted my invitation to come to the constituency and listen to the concerns of local people and I will be following up my visit with a letter to Sir David encouraging him to make changes to the scheme before petitions from Buckinghamshire are heard to ensure the impact of HS2 on the local area, both during construction and operation, is minimal.

I will continue to keep you updated as the HS2 Hybrid Bill progresses through Parliament.

Yours sincerely,

David Lidington
Member of Parliament for Aylesbury

Village Day a Great Success!

From Al Bowyer
Thanks to all who enjoyed our great Village Day on Saturday, and all those who helped make it happen, including the world famous Red Barrows!

With the forecast of possible thunderstorms on 19th July at exactly the time Village Day was going to be in full swing, you can imagine there was a little bit of stress in the morning! But we need not have worried because not only did everyone come early, but the forecast did not
materialise and everyone stayed longer as a result! The objectives for Village Day were:
• To involve the Community in an enjoyable and fun event
• To raise funds for the Village Hall Registered Charity (No: 300282)
In both cases these objectives were achieved and from the feedback received, very successfully.

Whether you were helping; participating in the events; enjoying the variety of stalls and games; buying or just browsing; eating and drinking; or simply enjoying the atmosphere on the day; then thank you. Because without you there simply would not have been a Village Day!

So a massive thanks to everybody for participating in what was a special day, in a very special year, as it was also 50 years since the Village Hall, as we now know it, was developed. The day commenced with the procession, which started at Hughenden Primary School at 12.00 noon.
This arrived early in the Arena at around 12.30 and then Michael Sole, chairman of the Village Hall committee, official opened the events on the field. From then it was full on with lots of events to watch and get involved with, many stalls to sample, a great range of children’s entertainments, a super variety of great food and drink, and the brilliant Hughenden Valley ‘Red Barrows’! The Grand Raffle Draw was at 16.30 with well over £2,000 of great prizes, which were all donated. The Field closed at 17.00 after which we had the incredibly well attended Family Barn Dance and danced to the brilliant ‘Broad Band’ and of course had some great food as well.

Days like this don’t ‘just happen’! There is a need for a great deal of planning and organising together with a lot of muscle and hard work. But more than this it takes people. It has been a pleasure and indeed a real honour to be part of such a super team of volunteers. I have been humbled by the support we have had and the knowledge and expertise of everyone. Not one ‘challenge’ was considered a problem. So may I not only on your behalf, but also add my personal thanks and gratitude, thank all those who were involved – there really are too many to mention by name.

There’s a great report of the day by the Bucks Free Press here.

Valley Wives July Report

From Joan Steel
On July 4th we had Sue and Judith join us to speak about Hearing Dogs For Deaf People. Both Sue and Judith are volunteer fund raisers for the charity, a very important job as it gets no funding from the government. The charity has two training centres, one in Buckinghamshire at The Grange at Saunderton, and the other in Yorkshire. We learnt that nearly 10 million people in the UK experience some hearing loss which causes them to lose their sense of security, confidence and independence. Deafness is an invisible disability which can lead to isolation and loneliness as people withdraw, finding it increasingly hard to communicate. Lip-reading, sign language and hearing aids can help of course but for the profoundly deaf having a hearing dog can be truly life-changing. At the meeting we had Carol Ann with us, accompanied by her hearing dog, Marley, who she clearly adores.
She explained how he has given her confidence and independence, for example, she has an alarm in the bathroom so that when it goes off Marley can find her to tell her the bath is ready – and turn the taps off!

For every paid employee there are 10 volunteers and we met Peter who had brought along his current charge a delightful poodle called Brodie. Peter is a volunteer – a puppy socializer. He will have Brodie for 14-16 months, introducing him to different people and experiences, teaching him basic obedience and attending the fortnightly puppy classes with him.

Volunteers are needed to do regular dog walking duty, be tour guides at the centre, help out in the shop and fund raise and support events organized by the charity. The dogs are bred from the following ,Labrador, Golden Retriever, Cocker Spaniel and miniature Poodles and breeding dogs are looked after in the homes of volunteers . The puppies start their training from 8 weeks old . They are trained to be alert to sounds specific to the requirements of a deaf person, it may be the door bell, the phone, or the smoke alarm. This is very important but most of all the hearing dog becomes the best friend and trusted companion of the deaf person.

On August 1st it is our Pot Luck Supper and in September Mr Graham Laurie MVO, will be talking about The History of the Royal Flight.

Valley Wives Report June 2014

From Joan Steel

This month’s talk was was from Marie Cates, an early retired ex-Primary School Head Teacher from Shropshire, who applied to do Voluntary Service Overseas. Her first work was at Nabongo in Uganda where she worked with Nabongo Primary School teachers to set up learning centres. Twenty teachers were trained and sent out on very long journeys to remote schools. Marie went to a township/village of very small shacks where people lived in extreme poverty. Here she committed herself to two years teaching and was housed in a very small hut. She was welcomed by a very large family with 28 children, some of whom had lost their parents to Aids. The head of the family was the village Elder, through whom she learned a great deal and met many good people who were very hospitable but lived very tough lives in extreme poverty. There was no water except that carried from muddy streams, which caused diseases. Also there was no electricity. Subsistence farming meant backbreaking work had to be done in the fields. Oxen were used for ploughing and cattle were reared and sometimes sold for school fees, burials etc., also to buy lamp oil, salt and sugar. The children worked very hard doing washing, cleaning, preparing vegetables and carrying water. There would be 100 to 200 children in a class. They would sit on the dusty floor and the teacher would have only one piece of chalk. All learning was done in English even though it was not spoken at home. Few went on to secondary school because they could not afford fees for tuition or uniform and equipment.

To visit all the schools, Marie needed transport and had to buy and learn to ride a motorbike, which was very difficult to ride over dusty roads covered in loose stones. Now with Gift Aid, self-sustaining community projects are being set up to improve the quality of life eg agricultural projects such as bee keeping, tomato growing, and rearing goats and poultry. There is also computer training, antenatal classes and new mothers are supplied with Mama Bags. A.V.S. promotes self help and people are encouraged to work in groups. Training is given to young people to use donated renovated tools, sewing machines etc. to enable them to find jobs, which is a good way to improve their quality of life. Marie travels out to Uganda three times a year with A.V.S.to oversee the many ongoing projects and to give advice and support as well as reporting back to the fundraising committees here. Marie found it very valuable work to do in her retirement.

We thanked Marie warmly for her interesting talk, and she answered many questions at coffee time. On July 4th we have a talk on “Hearing Dogs for the Deaf” and on 19th July we are serving tea and cakes at Village Day. Members are being asked to bring cakes to the main hall kitchen at 10 am. On August 1st we have our Pot Luck Supper in the small hall. Please bring food drink, cutlery, plate, bowl and glass and enjoy a pleasent evening with the ” Valley Friends”.

The next main meeting of the Valley Friends is an open meeting on 5th Sept in theVillage hall at 8pm. “The History of the Royal Flight” by Mr G. Laurie M.V.O.

History of Uplands

Marion Miller has kindly sent a copy of her fascinating History of Uplands. Here’s a short extract from the Introduction:

For nearly 100 years Uplands was a gentleman’s country residence owned successively by three different families. After 1956 it began a new existence as a training centre; new buildings were added but the old house remained substantially unaltered. In the early 1980s Uplands was given a new lease of life. The service end of the original house was demolished and the front range became the centre of a radical new development, blending the best of the old with innovative modern design by one of the country’s leading architectural practices. The philosophy extended to the grounds with new landscaping complimenting historic garden features and planting. The recent expansion of the use of the complex to a hotel and conference centre has made Uplands more accessible to a wider audience, enhancing its value as a community asset.

This report covers the history of Uplands during four periods, 1858-1900, 1900-1935, 1935-1956 and 1956 onwards. It then discusses the contribution made by the architects of the buildings and concludes with recommendations for further research, acknowledgements and finally the sources used by the writer.

The full document is here.

Valley Wives May Report

From Joan Steel

“Changes in Cilterns Wildlife over One Million Years” was a very interesting talk with slides given by John Tyler. He explained how each chapter in the story does not wipe out the earlier ones. The original tropical seas still influence wildlife today because as they dried up clay was formed which is where bluebells thrive today, and as ponds formed toads flourished as now. Gradually trees re-established themselves eg silver birches which have light seeds that are produced in millions became blown about in the wind. A certain fungi that only grows on birch has been used as an antisceptic since stone-age times.

Oaks took a long time to establish as they are dependent on jays to spread acorns. Much later, forests of a variety of trees became places where nomads lived and started to make flint tools. Open areas were formed in the forests and nomads became settlers who grew food and kept animals. John’s talk included many other developments in the formation of the Chilterns we see today and how the history is recorded in the geology of the area, even showing that bison once lived here. Fossils show how chalk and flint is formed of dead sea creatures that became compressed into stones, and layers of chalk where Chiltern grassland now flourishes, containing more plant species than in the whole of the rest of Britain. The Chiltern gentian is confined to the area also many rare wild orchids and heliborines grow here. Wild plants attract rich wildlife of all kinds eg butterflies slow worms, squirrels, birds deer and now kites.

John showed us many interesting examples of fossils and also his lovely photographs on cards, of wildlife and scenes in the Chilterns. John was warmly thanked for his fascinating talk. We are sure now to have many interesting “Chiltern” things to look out for on 14th May our evening ramble.

Jill gave us the dates of coming events, particularly 19th July Village Day when members are invited to join the parade as V.W ‘s 60’s Hippies. Doreen is taking names on the reserve list for the visit to the Law Courts in Aylesbury. Jill thanked everyone who had contributed to our successful Afternoon Tea on 6th May. Please join us at our next meeting on 5th June. There will be a plant stall as well as our new handmade jewellery stall. On the weekend of 22nd June Barbara’s Exhibition of Art can be seen at Marlow Place, Station Rd. Marlow, everyone invited.

Letter re HS2 from David Liddington MP

Following the vote in favour of the HS2 Hybrid Bill in Parliament last week, David Liddington has written the following letter to those constituents and groups who have previously contacted him about HS2. I’m sure he doesn’t mind us publishing it here for the benefit of those who have not seen it. His key message is that he believes that he can better serve our interests by remaining in Government and lobbying for improvements to the HS2 scheme – specifically for greater tunnelling beneath the Chilterns – but that he will resign if he is not able to achieve this. The text of his letter is:

Dear xxx,

As you will know, on Monday the House of Commons voted overwhelmingly in favour of the High Speed Rail Bill by 452 votes to 41 votes, a majority of 11 to 1. This was not a surprise. The leaders of all the main political parties, down to and including the Scottish Nationalists, support the project. The scale of that cross-party majority means that overwhelming support in Parliament for HS2 will remain throughout this Parliament and the next. The only way that would change is if one or both of the two big parties were to change its policy.

Like you, I have enormous concerns about the project. I have profound doubts not only about its environmental impact, but also about the business case behind it. I fought as hard as I possibly could within the Government to present the case against HS2 and I also made sure that every argument put by my constituents was presented forcefully to Transport Ministers and others.
Since you first elected me, over two decades ago, I have always tried to act in your best interests. I believe I am doing so now. The reality is I cannot stop HS2. There are too few of us opposed, and too many others in favour. I know it would be popular for me to have voted against HS2. But doing so would not have stopped it going ahead or dented the 11 to 1 majority in favour – and would have damaged my ability to do what is best for the local area. HS2 will have an impact not only on people living in our area, but also on future generations. My duty is to do my utmost to protect our local communities and landscapes along the route.

Some of the most critical issues concerning HS2 are still to be decided. For example, decisions on where there will be additional tunnelling, noise reduction, landscaping and screening in particular locations still need to be taken. Important questions remain unresolved on compensation as well, especially on the scope of the Need to Sell scheme which needs to be a lot more wide-ranging than the Hardship Scheme. The rules currently proposed for compensation to business and to small landlords also need improvement. Add to that the issue of how we can get some benefits for our area, like a good share of HS2 apprenticeships and contracting opportunities, as well as improvements to our local road and rail infrastructure. People in Buckinghamshire are being expected to shoulder a very heavy cost for a project that will bring no direct benefit to our area. It’s only right and fair that we should seek both to limit the costs and secure benefits to individuals and communities as compensation.

I thought long and hard about what I should do at Second Reading. I came to the conclusion that while resigning and voting with the small minority who opposed the Bill would win me some short-term applause, it would make no difference to HS2 being approved at Second Reading, but would harm my chance of getting the Government to accept the changes that local campaigners are seeking. Previous issues that I have championed to Ministers include the extension of the Wendover Green Tunnel and the Stoke Mandeville bypass, which are excellent ideas put forward by local people and are now included within the Scheme. I therefore kept to a very longstanding official visit on behalf of the Government, which had the effect of me abstaining on the Second Reading vote. As you may be aware, Cheryl Gillan, the MP for Chesham and Amersham, said in her speech during the debate that it is important to have MPs fighting the corner for local communities both within the Government and on the backbenches.
Decisions about HS2 are taken in Government, by Ministers I work with every day. Last week, I saw the Chancellor of the Exchequer one-to-one and talked several times to the Transport Secretary about changes that you, my constituents, want to see. I am in a better position to do that, as a fellow member of the Government, than I would be as a backbencher, especially one who had deliberately walked out.

Patrick McLoughlin’s speech on 28 April did include some of what I wanted. He committed himself to look at further noise mitigation and screening for Western Aylesbury (i.e. from Hawkslade to Fairford Leys) and to making it possible for St Mary’s Wendover to continue as a concert venue and place of worship. I was also pleased by his commitment to continue to work with the National Trust on their idea for land bridges across the line and the reference to Aylesbury UTC getting a share of the training college for HS2.

On compensation, the Secretary of State has now said at the Despatch Box that the Need to Sell scheme is not just a relabelled Hardship Scheme but is intended to be more generous.
I was also pleased by Mr McLoughlin’s comments that he has made it clear to both his department and HS2 Ltd that there is no place for talk about luddites and NIMBYS and that those affected by HS2 must be respected. I had explained both to him and the Prime Minister how wounding and offensive local people have found that kind of language when it has been used in the past. I hope and expect that we do see the change in attitude that Mr McLoughlin has demanded.
These concessions are welcome, but this is not enough. As we go forward to the Select Committee and later Commons stages of the Bill, I shall not rest in pressing for more.

I have already discussed in detail with local campaign groups and parish councils the improvements to mitigation and compensation that they want to see and I will continue to lobby my utmost to secure them.
One big issue in particular stands out. It is clear to me that a further tunnel is the only way to provide real mitigation for the Chilterns landscape, and more importantly for the people in Dunsmore, Wendover Dean and Wendover.
The Bill will now be scrutinised by a Parliamentary Committee, which will recommend improvements. I will argue strongly that a tunnel is essential.

Unless a tunnel, and other satisfactory mitigation measures, and compensation arrangements are agreed, I will not be able to remain a member of the Government and will vote against the Bill before it leaves the House of Commons.

Yours sincerely,
David Lidington
Member of Parliament for Aylesbury