Farmer dealt double blow in HS2 nightmare

A Steeple Claydon farmer whose land has been dealt a double blow by the East West Rail link and now HS2, is furious that HS2 Ltd hasn't consulted him about changes to a bridge position, which will he says will create a death trap junction.
Rose Farm and Kennels to be dealt fatal blow in HS2 nightmareRose Farm and Kennels to be dealt fatal blow in HS2 nightmare
Rose Farm and Kennels to be dealt fatal blow in HS2 nightmare

Despite two formal petitions to the House of commons and the House of Lords, Clive Higgins says that HS2 ‘don’t really care’ after HS2 was granted Royal Assent, and have failed to listen to any of his concerns about their changes to the project.

Clive Higgins, who lives on Rosehill Farm in Steeple Claydon said: “Unfortunately I have the double privilege of the East West line running adjacent to the North of my land, and now HS2 ltd has decided to kill me by changing the position of Addison’s bridge where HS2 will run to the West of the farm.

“By realigning the bridge, It will give me and slow moving agricultural vehicles about two seconds to avoid fast moving vehicles. It’s an accident waiting to happen.”

To make matters worse, Clive says at no point have HS2 Ltd formally notified him of any of he actions they were going to take on his land.

Clive added: “Having submitted two petitions to both the House of Commons Select Committee and the House of Lords Select Committee, HS2 was instructed to reconsider their plans for the Addison Road bridge (their current plan is a fatality waiting to happen, in which their solution is to impose a very low speed limit over the bridge so that I will not be hit by speeding traffic).

“I do not see how the fact that the driver was going faster than the road sign allows will make me any less dead.

“HS2 have also made assurances to Bucks County Council in respect of the existing footpaths that drop south from the village toward Rosehill as when the Infrastructure and Maintenance Depot is built – a 200 acres industrial complex - it will obviously not be possible to just wander across the lines. I was visited by three people from HS2 who were clearly of the view that none of the undertakings given to the Select Committees or Bucks County Council were valid and they would build what they wanted as they now had Parliamentary approval to do as they pleased.

“They have never formally advised me of what they are doing. It was only when I saw the maps three years ago of the prospective realignment of Addison Road, where we saw that it would be detrimental to life on the farm, when we took the petition to the House of Commons after which HS2 agreed they would change aspects of the design.”

A statement from HS2 Ltd said: “We are sorry Mr Higgins feels the HS2 team who visited him were unable to answer his concerns. However we will continue to talk with Mr Higgins during preparation of the route’s detailed design. A member of the Construction department will contact him to offer another meeting to discuss the issues he raised."