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Depot nr Skelton Grange / Arla / M1

HS2 recently announced plans for a maintenance depot opposite Arla and next to the M1.

This will clearly need connectivity to the HS2 tracks and is likely to cause further disruption to local rail services while these connections are made and realignment takes place. There are currently no estimates as to the severity or period of disruption anticipated.

The depot will be operational 24 hours a day.

A consultation on the proposed depot is currently open and runs until 12 October 2017 – raise your objections and concerns now!

HS2 Update 17 July 2017 – Route and Compensation

Today saw a flood of documents released from HS2.

Our initial comments and links to their files can be found on our facebook discussion:

https://www.facebook.com/groups/sowhaths2/permalink/1794267610601594/

In short (so far):

The route hasn’t changed through our area, the tunnels and viaducts are as bad as ever
HS2 have proposed a depot next to the M1 opposite Arla (Skelton Grange / Stourton) instead of Crofton
SOWHAT achieved a small victory with improved compensation arrangements at tunnel mouths

SOWHAT and Woodlesford residents clearly made a significant impact, this is reflected in the HS2 consultation reports, but HS2 don’t justify their position and haven’t reduced the devastation they will cause to our area. Indeed, the disruption to existing rail services is likely to be worse during the construction period with the addition of the depot.

Chris Grayling (Secretary of State for Transport) failed to deliver the promised update to the House of Commons today and instead HS2 released many documents which don’t appear to offer much by way of justification for decisions taken. Grayling has been heavily criticised and the Speaker has promised to summon him to appear tomorrow to answer “extensive questions”.

Election candidates on HS2

SOWHAT asked the five Parliamentary candidates to complete a survey to inform the community of their position on HS2. Three written and one video response have been received.

You can view the individual responses here:

https://www.surveymonkey.com/results/SM-KL6P825H/browse/

The video response is here:

https://www.facebook.com/ElmetandRothwellLiberalDemocrats/videos/330400594044770/

Keep in mind that the viaduct is 28-36m high, 2200m long, and construction in our area is likely to take 7 or more years. You can read more details about the impact of HS2 here: HS2-Impact-Brief-v2.4.pdf

Also from the Constituency Election Hustings last Saturday run by Rothwell Catholic Church, we have the following report:

Conservative: Alec asserted his support for the project and the benefits he thought it would bring to Leeds. If it doesn’t come here, he says, then all the business will go to Manchester. KPMG have told him they will move there. He does not support the proposed route and stated that the reroute via tunnel is down to his campaigning.

Labour: David said he wants to see the Church Fenton spur abandonned, and that he wants HS2 to open an office in Leeds.

Liberal: Stewart wants a fairer deal for local people, the impact being too heavy, but talked about HS2 in principle as be progress.

Yorkshire: Matthew stated he was against HS2 and would prefer money to be invested in an East / West line across the Pennines.

Green: Dylan spoke eloquently against the HS2 project and said that they are working on a local transport plan that would reopen track closed under Beeching. He has had a long career working in the rail industry.

Responding to HS2’s Consultations

Note: These consultations closed on 9 March 2017

HS2’s consultation information, forms and guidance can be found on the following links:

Phase 2b Route Refinement Consultation *
Phase 2b Property Compensation Consultation

* NOTE: The route consultation form was not designed for our area and doesn’t make sense in the context of our location. We suggest you write a letter (or email), drawing on our templates where appropriate and adding your own content. Then send to HS2 as detailed below.

SOWHAT’s Support Documents

You can also view a copy of our HS2 Update (PDF) presentation and download our consultation template response support documents to assist you in compiling your responses. Our template responses make it easy for everyone to get involved but it is, however, important to personalise your response to make it individual – this carries far more weight when evaluated.

Responding to HS2 public consultations

The consultations close on 9 March 2017. Email responses can be submitted until 23:45pm on the final day of the consultation. Paper responses must be posted on or before the final day of the consultation.

Please only use the channels listed below when responding to the consultations. HS2 do not guarantee that responses sent to any other addresses will be included in the consultations.

Respond to the ROUTE consultation in the following ways:

Email your response to route2b@dialoguebydesign.co.uk

Post your response to the following FREEPOST address. Please use capital letters when writing the address. No additional address information is required and you do not need a stamp: FREEPOST HS2 PHASE 2B ROUTE REFINEMENT CONSULTATION

Complete an online response form that is available at the following website: https://route2b.dialoguebydesign.net * SOWHAT suggest you don’t use this method as the form isn’t designed for our area, instead write a letter or email

Respond to the PROPERTY COMPENSATION consultation in the following ways:

Email your response to property2b@dialoguebydesign.co.uk

Complete an online response form that is available at the following website: https://Property2b.dialoguebydesign.net

Update and Call to Action

Today we held a public information meeting at Oulton Institute to update everyone on HS2’s current proposals, provide feedback from our meeting with them last week, and to set out what everyone needs to do urgently to respond to the public consultations.

To secure the future of our villages we need our voice to be heard. Only by generating a significant volume of responses will HS2 be compelled to listen. This could well be our last opportunity to influence their plans.

Responses must be submitted before their 9 March 2017 deadline. Read more…

We also encourage everyone to sign our petition and to write to our MP, Councillors and LCC.

You can view a copy of our HS2 Update (PDF) presentation. We also showed videos from our drone flying at the height of the train, and walked through our template response documents.

The HS2 route consultation was not designed for our area and their response form doesn’t make much sense for us. It is better to write a letter (or email), drawing on our templates where appropriate and adding your own content, and then address this to HS2 as part of their “Phase 2b Route Consultation“.

The property compensation consultation form and details may be used as supplied, although you are also entitled to supplement or submit your response by letter or email if you wish. You can also submit your response online.

Click the graphic below for a copy of today’s presentation.

Woodlesford Illustration

Click on the images to enlarge. Although it’s not strictly to scale the illustration above gives a good idea of the impact on Woodlesford. The tunnel mouth cutting is around 140m wide (because there are in fact TWO tunnels, one for each track), and the track depth below ground level is about 15m. The viaduct height can be seen on the profile below which is to scale. The red house is just over 7m high, the size of a typical UK house. The viaduct is four times that height at Swillington Organic Farm!

Click these links for more images and videos

Take Action NOW!

Print a poster for your home or car window to help spread the word..

HS2 Phase 2b Property Consultation

Dates for your diary…
HS2 Phase 2b Property Consultation and the Phase 2b Route Refinement Consultation events:

Saturday 21 January Woodlesford
Blackburn Hall, Commercial Street, Rothwell, Leeds, LS26 0AW 10am – 5pm

Monday 23 January Garforth
Thorpe Park Hotel & Spa, Thorpe Suite 1150 Century Way, Leeds, LS15 8ZB 12pm – 8pm

Tuesday 24 January Hunslet
Royal Armouries Museum, Armouries Drive, Leeds, LS10 1LT 12pm – 8pm

Why is this not in the village again? Ask HS2!

Note that HS2 are likely to have different information displays at the Garforth and Hunslet events, so you are best to attend on the 21st if you can, but if you can’t make that… the others are better than nothing.

Further details can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/hs2-phase-2b-property-consultation-and-the-phase-2b-route-refinement-consultation-events-january-february-2017

Revised route announced by HS2

News this morning of revisions to the route make better reading for The Locks and The Maltings, but still a very significant impact on Woodlesford and our surrounding greenbelt…

Detailed description (pages 64/65)

Property Consultation

Summary: branch line to Leeds 230km/h over M62, track height over Methley Lane 9m, steep dive into cutting under Fleet Lane, into 1 mile long tunnels, main line continues at 360km/h north on 29+m high 2.2km long viaduct – highest visual and biodiversity impact ratings!

The map above shows the approximate route of the main and branch lines, the tunnel section in orange and viaduct in yellow. For detailed maps please use the links above.

Woodlesford residents let down by LCC

Having tried to work with local labour councillors and Leeds City Council to secure a better future for Woodlesford and Leeds residents we have finally come to realise that they have no intention of doing so. And worse, they have deceived us and lied to us.

Despite the Chamber of Commerce and Civic Trust supporting the views of Leeds residents and businesses in representations to HS2 and LCC, the council continue to work their own agenda, fuelling a vanity project on the south bank at our expense.

Everyone is of the opinion that an integrated station, with a through route to the north, would be far more beneficial to travellers and the city. LCC on the other hand would rather have a disconnected terminus on the south bank.