Today I took HS2 minister Andrew Stephenson to see first hand the damage being caused to our countryside and communities by the construction of the line. First stop - a farm which is typical of so many locally: delayed compensation, broken promises and poor communication from HS2 ltd.
Then Cllr Steve Broadbent set out in stark detail the traffic chaos being caused by HS2's HGVs around Aylesbury. We joined Cllrs Peter Strachan and Richard Newcombe from Bucks Council to hear about problems at Wendover Cricket and show the difference a bored mined tunnel would make to Wendover.
At St Mary's Church, the Parish Council and WendoverHS2 Action Group finally had the chance to tell the minister face to face about the huge difficulties of getting responses to their proposals for the tunnel. They demanded much better mitigation for those who will suffer most.
Having seen the cruel realities of this unwanted railway, I hope the minister will bear locals' plight in mind in the months ahead, because the actions of HS2 ltd and its contractors have real-world implications for decent people who are just trying to get on with their lives.
