Supporters and opponents of high speed rail should stick to the facts, a Midlands lawyer has urged.
Jennie Patrick, a solicitor in the real estate department at Stratford-upon-Avon based Lodders, said insults and name-calling would help no-one.
Her comments followed the release of a Commons Transport Committee report into HS2, the proposed £32 billion London to Birmingham link. It hailed “a new era of inter-urban travel in Britain” and concluded there was a “good case” for the project so long as it was extended to Manchester and Leeds as planned.
The Government is due to announce its decision on the route of HS2 by the end of the year.
Miss Patrick, part of Lodders’ HS2 team, which has been advising a host of clients affected by the scheme, said: “The committee described what should have been a serious and factually-based debate as being ‘too often reduced to name-calling and caricature’.”
She went on: “This is a huge decision for the country. Both sides have compelling arguments and have considered the environmental and economic impact that the route will have and this is in danger of being lost among all the insults. I agree with the committee that both sides should focus on the facts.
“Louise Ellman, the Labour chair of the committee, has said the scheme is affordable and would provide a dramatic improvement in connectivity between our major cities, Heathrow and other airports and the rest of Europe. However the MPs recognised that the proposed route would have a substantial negative impact on the countryside, communities and people living alongside the route.
“And I would support its assertion that plans for HS2 ‘must be accompanied by complementary regional and local strategies for transport, housing, skills and employment’.
“It is far too important a matter to simply trade insults – everyone involved needs to stay calm and respect each other’s views. Ultimately we are all in this together whatever the outcome.”
Lodders’ HS2 Advisory Group has a wealth of experience to rely on – the firm was at the forefront of advising those caught up in the M42 and M40 motorway developments.
