High speed rail Heathrow link 'too expensive'

Jul 28 2010 By Hannah Williams

A REPORT investigating the route of a proposed high-speed rail link said an option set to avoid cutting through the heart of the Chilterns is too costly for the Government to pursue.

The Mawhinney Review, published last Thursday, said a Heathrow link – with a hub in Iver – would cost an additional £2 billion to £4 billion - but the Department of Transport has not ruled it out yet.

Former transport secretary Lord Brian Mawhinney recommended a 'superhub' be built at Old Oak Common instead of in the South Bucks village.

Engineering firm Arup, which was behind the Heathrow plans, had hoped to use existing track as part of its route – meaning it could have avoided tunnelling under the Chalfonts, Amersham Old Town and cutting through the Misbourne Valley.

Lord Mawhinney's review- to assess how Heathrow Airport be incorporated into the proposed high speed rail network- was commissioned by outgoing Labour transport secretary Lord Adonis in March.

Since then, a change of Government, and new transport secretary Phillip Hammond (Con), have also requested that company HS2 Ltd investigate the possibility of linking to Heathrow. The Conservatives have always been advocates of a hub at Heathrow.

Buckinghamshire County Council's transport and regeneration manger Tim Bellamy submitted a response for the review. He stated the detrimental impacts had not been fully investigated in the proposal for having a station in or near the airport. The impact of construction of a large station, the effect on the Green Belt and increased traffic, and tunnelling were concerns, he said. At Iver, he added there were fears over flooding, worries over a disruption to water services and the need to move the water treatment works.

He said: "...Buckinghamshire County Council would strongly suggest that more time is given to investigate how Heathrow links with HS2, with particular regard given to the detrimental impact of the suggestions on the local community, environment and transport networks."

The Mawhinney Report recommended that Heathrow should have a direct high speed rail link, but only after links to the north of England have been constructed and are up and running.

Lord Mawhinney said: "I have concluded that, in the early stages of a high speed rail network, there is no compelling case for a direct rail link to Heathrow, and that a London-Old Oak Common interchange could provide an appropriate, good quality terminus and connection point to the airport."

Hammersmith and Fulham Council, the local authority for Old Oak Common, is in favour of the hub being placed there, and the economic prospects it could bring to the area.

Responding to the report, transport secretary Phillip Hammond said: "High Speed 2 Ltd are also doing some detailed work in this area, which will take more time to complete. We will therefore carefully consider Lord Mawhinney's recommendations alongside this further work by High Speed 2 and will announce our conclusions later this year."

A NEWLY-FORMED campaign group led by the creator of TV programme Midsomer Murders said The Mawhinney report was 'a missed opportunity'.

Conserve the Chilterns and Countryside, chaired by Brian True-May, managing director of Bentley Productions which makes the ITV drama in the Chilterns, and formed by residents of the Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, questioned Lord Mawhinney’s findings in his report investigating the linking of HS2 to Heathrow.
Campaign spokesman, Mark Adams, said: "Lord Mawhinney’s report is a missed opportunity which flies in the face of the Coalition government’s policy. Lord Mawhinney is making recommendations based on rushing ahead with the misguided route recommended under the previous administration.

“This was a chance to step back and look at correcting the mistakes of the previous government’s plans. Other options should be explored fully, for example the route promoted by Arup in Lord Mawhinney’s report, which would traverse the narrowest part of the Chilterns."

The group also criticised the report for recommending an interchange at Old Oak Common, with no links to HS1 and what it described as 'poor links to Heathrow' and 'absolutely no consideration for the impacts of the route further up the line.'

The group wants to examine 'more viable' and 'less damaging' alternatives.