Depot Consultation and Demand for Tunnels

The consultation on the depot closes on Thursday evening. Act now to raise your objections to HS2. It is important that as many people as possible submit a response. We need everyone to object to the current proposed route and viadcuts through our area to demand that both the mainline and branch line are tunnelled completely to mitigation the blight on our villages. Demand it go UNDER NOT OVER!

Consultation Information and how to respond by 11.45pm Thursday 12th October

Documents can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/hs2-phase-2b-eastern-leg-rolling-stock-depot

Responses can be completed online: https://ipsos.uk/HS2Phase2bRSD

or

Responses can be emailed to: HS2Phase2bRSD@ipsos.com

Be sure to include your full name and address if sending by email.

 

HS2 Phase 2b: Eastern leg rolling stock depot – GOV.UK

Seeks views on the proposed relocation of a rolling stock depot from New Crofton to a site in the Aire Valley adjacent to the M1.

Consultation Questions…

There is one main question asked:

  1. Do you support the proposal to locate the Eastern Leg RSD on a site east of Leeds in the Aire Valley adjacent to the M1? Please indicate whether or not you support the proposal, together with your reasons?

*Important*

Whilst this question is specific to the Rolling Stock Depot (RSD), it is also important to feedback our views on moving the tunnel entrance away from the village, to before the M62, and replacing the viaduct by COMPLETELY tunnelling both the mainline and branchline. As a community if HS2 has to go ahead, it needs to go under and not over.

This objection can be added as additional comments to the online response, or in the email sent as part of the consultation.

 

Consultation Answer template / suggested points to include

Below are suggestions on what to include, but please feel free (and we encourage all) to put your own stamp on any response. Please share with friends, family, neighbours, and colleagues to ensure as many people respond as possible. Please write in your own words.

It is important that everyone responds, there CAN be multiple response per household, one for each person.

  1. Do you support the proposal to locate the Eastern Leg RSD on a site east of Leeds in the Aire Valley adjacent to the M1? Please indicate whether or not you support the proposal, together with your reasons?

I object to the newly proposed site for the Eastern leg RSD for a number of reasons that should have already been considered by HS2. My concerns are as follows:

  • I have huge concerns over the level of disruption caused during construction of the depot. The postcode of LS26, and surrounding areas is already going to face unprecedented blight with the construction of the main and spur lines going through Woodlesford, and up through Swillington, and Garforth. The new addition of the rolling stock depot will increase this even further. The transport infrastructure for the area is already not suitable for all the construction traffic that would be needed just to build the lines that have been proposed. Adding this depot to the area just compounds this huge issue further.
  • I understand part of the reason this was moved from near Crofton on the original plan was due to the level of blight it was going to cause to that area due to it being surrounded on 3 sides by the new lines and then the RSD. This is now the case for Woodlesford / Swillington, as we have the mainline, spurline, and RSD to the north. Why if this is unacceptable for one area, is it acceptable for ours?
  • I assume traffic in and out of the new depot will be 24/7/365? Impact on nearby villages needs to be mitigated and routes prescribed for motorway is closed.
  • Consideration is required for the compound effect on roads due to the depot and the proposed park and ride at Stourton, this needs to be fully assessed and mitigated.
  • If this does go ahead it needs to be ensured all access is via junction 45 on the M1
  • I would like confirmation on any additional impact on the Woodlesford train line closure during construction. At present no closure timeline has been given for during construction of the main HS2 line, I assume this will increase closure time?
  • What will be the number of train movements per day, and what times of the day will they happen?
  • Will the RSD be limited only to trains coming from Leeds and returning to Leeds (ie no reversing stuff to get on/off mainline – so need depots elsewhere, or cycle in during normal operational journey)
  • There will need to be additional access improvements (extra lane) at junction 45 of M1, as the current park and ride peak hours causes queues back onto M1north
  • Are there any specifics on noise and light pollution that can be given based on how HS2 know these type of depots operate?

Additional comments to add to your response on Under Not Over!

  • Other areas of the route have significantly more tunnelling being completed, and proposed. In order to limit blight on LS26 and the surrounding areas I would like to see the proposals updated to have both the main line, and branch line (that comes across the M62, past Clumpcliffe, towards Woodlesford, and then spurs off up to Swillington and beyond, with the main line going under Woodlesford) to be entirely tunnelled through our area. There should be no gigantic viaducts cutting towards, past, and alongside all the residential areas as has been proposed already.
  • Why does Manchester get 14km of tunnel and LS26 only get 1km? We demand the entire route (both branch and mainline) be tunnelled through this area
  • The additional blight on top generated from the new RSD on top of the huge scale of blight the area already has proposed, should have this additional tunnelling to at least provide some compensation.