Wendover Community Residents petition against the High Speed Rail (London - West Midlands) Bill - 1 -

To the House of Lords, Session 2015–16

PETITION against the

High Speed Rail (London – West Midlands) Bill

THE PETITION OF

INSERT NAMES HERE

Declares that:

1. The Petitioners are specially and directly adversely affected by is specially and directly adversely affected by the whole Bill.

2. Your petitioner

The Petitioners are residents of Wendover Parish, being part of the Chilterns Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB). They will be

specially and directly affected by the Bill for the proposed HS2 line both during construction and after completion.

The Petitioners are injuriously affected by the Bill, to which your Petitioners object for reasons, amongst others, hereinafter appearing.

3. Your petitioner’s concerns

The Petitioners concerns during the construction phase can be summarised as:

the adverse impact on the local road network causing delays in travelling to work and accessing emergency services; the reduction in

customers and other visitors wanting to come to Wendover businesses causing local unemployment; the reduction in property values for

owners seeking to realise investments in their homes; and the noise, dirt, and Public Right of Way disruption that will be generated by the

works.

The Petitioners concerns during the operational phase can be summarised as:

the disruption to sleep caused by obtrusive noise generated by passing trains in late evenings and early mornings; the visual impact of the

proposed Small Dean Viaduct and associated embankments with noise barriers reducing the appeal of this part of the AONB; and associated

impact on property values and local businesses for current and future generations.

Petitioners have additional concerns about the construction of the Green Tunnel, and the associated impact on the Coombe Hill aquifer that

feeds the Grand Union Canal and Weston Turville Reservoir SSSI. The key concern relates to currently undefined requirement to add

reservoirs, pipelines and a pumping station to mitigate the damage caused by extensive interception of the aquifer; and the associated

extension of the construction costs and timescale in the Wendover area which could be avoided by redesign.

The petitioners propose that a fully bored tunnel through the AONB and running underneath the Coombe Hill aquifer would be an effective

solution to all the construction and subsequent phase impacts.

4. The prayer

The petitioners therefore ask the House of Lords that they, or someone representing them in accordance with the rules and Standing Orders of the

House, be given an opportunity to give evidence on all or some of the issues raised in this petition to the Select Committee which considers this Bill.

AND the petitioners remain, etc.

SIGNED

Ronald Petersen (Agent)

APRIL 2016