The government has today announced it is postponing its decision on whether work should start on HS2, the high-speed rail project running from London to Birmingham, Manchester and Leeds. |
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 Responding to the announcement of the delay; Sarah Lee, Head of Policy for the Countryside Alliance, said:
“The Countryside Alliance welcomes Transport Secretary Justine Greening’s decision to review all the relevant factors before ruling on the future of HS2. The Alliance has long been concerned that the environmental costs of the proposed HS2 project have not been properly evaluated or acknowledged in the business plan.
“Given that the Government has also failed to publish or consult on the route past Birmingham, we sincerely hope that Justine Greening will use this time to review the business plan and take into account not only the impact on the natural environment, as required by the Natural Environment White Paper, but also the impact on rural communities who live and work along the route.”
The Government had previously said that it would make a decision on the future of the HS2 project before the end of 2011.
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