The Government has announced adoption of an extended HS2 tunnel proposal known as C6, which is a scheme proposed by HS2, as a shorter alternative to the C5 proposal by REPA. This tunnel proposal will extend the tunnel beyond Mantles Wood to a new tunnel Portal adjacent Bury Farm on the Western Edge of South Heath. The net effect of this tunnel proposal is to remove a considerable amount of the blight and construction impacts the previous scheme would have produced. The Hyde Heath Road will no longer be a construction traffic route and work camps will no longer be situated adjacent Mantles Woods. Additionally, as the tunnel is extended, the line will stay underground ensuring less disruption to the B485 Great Missenden to Chesham road. There will be a new vent shaft, next to Chesham side of Annie Baileys.
Details of the scheme as proposed by HS2 is contained in:
https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/442549/C222-ATK-TN-REP-020-000015_HS2.pdf
The description of the proposal is in section 6.7 on page 21 (18, in the document). The maps for the proposed scheme are on pages 67 to 75.
While this is positive news for Hyde Heath, Hyde End and parts of South Heath there will remain significant impacts on the Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty together with construction impacts related to traffic, noise, dust etc. The Village Society are pleased that the efforts of the Society together with our neighbouring villages have resonated with the HS2 Select Committee of MPs, however, we continue to work hard and press the MPs for even greater mitigation, in the form of a long tunnel for the AONB, to alleviate the impact on this precious landscape.
As regards petitions, the C6 proposal is not the subject of the current round of petitions, so should be ignored for now. HS2 Ltd will issue a new Environmental Impact Statement for the extended tunnel, this statement will be consulted upon then an Additional Provision will be introduced to the Bill at which point anyone directly or specifically affected by the new proposal will be given the chance to petition the new impacts.
Meantime, the HHVS petition is due to be heard on the 22nd September therefore we are currently engaged in responding to the 124 page petition response document provided by HS2 Ltd together with the extensive HS2 evidence pack issued by HS2 Ltd as reference material. We are also gathering the petition evidence ready for submission on Friday 18th September.
