Want to write for a local paper?
There’s a new paper on the block: ‘Between the tracks’ – which leads – aptly – with a story on railways: HS2 and air quality. It promises to tackle hard-hitting issues. If you are concerned, why not contribute? Contact below.
Here’s a taster:
“Throughout September, members of the House of Lords select committee on HS2 have been hearing how the proposed high speed train line would affect residents and businesses in Euston. First to petition was the London Borough of Camden. The council has secured over 100 assurances from HS2, but still admit construction work will devastate the area. The presentation from the council was followed by a series of very impressive petitions from groups and residents in Euston. Robert Latham of the HS2 Euston Action Group showed the blatant unfairness of a compensation scheme that treats those living in rural areas so differently to those living in Euston. He asked that badly affected households be given an annual cash payment of between £1,000 and £3,000 per year in compensation. Prof. Ian Mudway of King’s College London explained how devastating it was, particularly to children and the unborn, to grow up in an area that has poor air quality. “What possible solutions are there during the construction of HS2?” Lord Young asked. “You are not going to like it”, came the reply. “You have to do everything in your power to reduce the number of vehicles.” Steve Christofi spoke on behalf of the Regent’s Park TRA, focussing particularly on transport issues. He showed how putting up to an extra 700 HGVs on the roads, plus disrupting bus lanes and taxi ranks, was going to lead to gridlock on our roads. He predicted the result would be motorists cutting through our estates: a return to the rat runs of the 1960s and 1970s. Catherine Colley of the Delancey Street Residents’ Association also talked about the dangers of gridlock in Camden. Her evidence was made shockingly real when news filtered through to the hearing room that a concrete HGV lorry had run over and killed someone that morning at the very junction that was the focus of her concerns. The select committee will hear in October how HS2 is going to disrupt the lives of people living in Somers Town.”
By Slaney Devlin
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