Published: 16 February 2012
by DAN CARRIER

THE Town Hall has warned it is prepared to take the government to the High Court to settle a dispute over the HS2 rail link and the effect it will have on Camden.

Camden councillors say they feel their concerns are being ignored by ministers and the possibility of the issue be­coming the subject of a judicial review is now being seriously discussed.

The borough will lose at least 216 homes to the bulldozer if the £33billion link to Birmingham has its terminus at Euston.

Regeneration chief and Labour councillor Sarah Hayward said: “Taking this course of action is by no means an easy decision, but we have simply been given no alternative.

“The government has so far ignored the plight of local people and disregarded the impact this scheme will have on local communities.”

She added: “We remain bitterly disappointed with the government’s response to Camden, which is the most blighted borough in the country.

We think the government’s decision to proceed with HS2 is a catastrophic mistake and has not been taken correctly.

We are talking about people’s homes and businesses – not golf courses.”

The warning of a legal appeal follows a fraught meeting between Cllr Hayward, Town Hall officers and Transport Secretary Justine Greening last week.

Camden’s delegation asked for details on what might happen to residents on the Regent’s Park Estate, where homes will be knocked down to make room for the rail link.

Peter Jones, of the Pan-Camden Anti-HS2 Alliance said: “We would welcome a judicial review. We feel that not only was the consultation flawed, the response to the consultation was a slap in the face.

“The vast majority of people do not want HS2.

The environmental impact of HS2, not only on the countryside but also the communities through which this line will travel, has simply not been considered in any depth.”

A Department of Transport spokesman said: “The line of route between London and the West Midlands has been continually improved to mitigate the impact on those living near it and the environment.

“We believe we have struck the right balance between the reasonable concerns of people living on or near the line, who will be offered a package of compensation measures, the environment and the need to keep Britain moving.”

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