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UPDATED WITH VIDEO: Protests greet HS2 minister in Aylesbury
Secretary of State for transport, Philip Hammond, was jeered by around 50 HS2 protesters as he attended a meeting in Aylesbury on Thursday evening.
Click the play button now to see a video by Natalee Hazelwood.
For the audio clip of the press conference in full, click here.
Mr Hammond spoke privately to a select group of councillors and residents about the Government's high speed rail plans at Aylesbury Vale District Council's Gatehouse offices.
On his way into the meeting at 5pm he was jeered by campaigners waving placards and wearing anti High Speed Two T-shirts.
As the protesters lined the road, countless drivers showed thier support by beeping their horns as they went past.
After an hour in the behind-closed-doors meeting, Mr Hammond spoke briefly with the media.
He said: "This is a piece of infrastructure that will benefit the country as a whole through additional economic growth and better connectivity but of course there is a significant impact on communities as it passes through and individual properties close to it so I can understand why people are concerned.
"I hope during the consultation process to be able to allay many of those concerns.
"Many people are worried about noise and I hope to be able to show them some technical mitigation measures around noise.
"I do not think this will destroy the countryside. Clearly we have to manage the impacts at a local level very carefully."
He said Conservative voters in Bucks 'should not be surprised we are pushing ahead with our commitment to high speed rail, that is a very clear manifesto commitment'.
Mr Hammond said of HS2's 30bn price tag at a time of national cutbacks to front line services: "We cannot afford not to invest in infrastructure for economic development in the future if we want to keep Britain competitive.
"What we are proposing is a project where the capital expenditure is not until after the next general election in 2015 and by that stage we will have returned the budget to balance and Britain will be back in business again and we will be able to start making properly costed investments for our future prosperity."
Mr Hammond then emerged from the offices to meet with protesters.
He stressed what can be done to mitigate the effects of the line, adding that the Government has a very difficult job balancing national and local interests.
As he drove off, the protesters again jeered, with one man shouting out: "Sack him Cameron, get him out."
Were you at the protests or speak to Mr Hammond at the meeting? Contact news editor Adam King on 01296 619764.
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Weather for Aylesbury
Saturday 26 May 2012
Today
Sunny
Temperature: 11 C to 23 C
Wind Speed: 18 mph
Wind direction: East
Tomorrow
Sunny
Temperature: 11 C to 24 C
Wind Speed: 15 mph
Wind direction: East
