CAMPAIGNERS remain hopeful of seeing the brakes put on HS2.
For more than two months protesters have been camping out at sites at Crackley Woods in Kenilworth, and Cubbington, which are both in the path of the controversial high speed rail line.
And after spending Christmas camped out in the woods, they are hoping the new year will bring some good news.
Cubbington camp spokesman Matthew Bishop says they have no plans to move, and is calling on the government to scrap the plans.
He said: “HS2 is not wanted by any of the towns, villages, communities whose countryside and woodlands it is destroying. It is a total failure of democracy and wasting vast sums of taxpayers’ money. It needs to be halted and rethought. There are better transport solutions out there.
“We want government to change HS2 and become heroes for the environment. Save the ancient woodland and instead of creating a new line use the existing Grand Central Line.
“This would show the community they care while saving the wildlife and woodland.”
But he says if the plans were not altered a second review should be held, after Lord Berkeley, the deputy chairman of the current review into HS2, resigned and criticised how it was being influenced and handled.
Mr Bishop has launched a petition for a second review to take place, which has so far received nearly 2,000 signatures.
He added: “The HS2 review has not been officially published yet and we have no plans to leave the campsite.
“We will stay here until there is a proper independent review conducted.”
The Department for Transport says no decisions will be made until the original review is published.
A spokeswoman said: “The transport secretary has yet to receive the independent review. We will consider the findings of the independent review before making a decision on the next steps.
“We have committed to making the final report available to parliament.”
Visit www.change.org/p/we-want-the-government-to-halt-hs2-works-and-hold-a-proper-independent-inquiry to sign Matthew Bishop’s petition.