Angry Shropshire councillors call for suspension of HS2 in letter to Prime Minister
Angry councillors in Shropshire have sent a letter to the Prime Minister asking for plans for HS2 to be suspended amid concerns of increased traffic and dangerous pollution.
Woore Parish Council said in their letter to Theresa May that the decision to allow lorries through the village as part of the work on the high speed rail line would would be "both life changing and indefensible".
The letter was signed by Michael Cowey, chairman of Woore Parish Council, on behalf of the whole council and Woore Parish Action Group.
He wrote: "I am sure that with everything happening both in the UK and abroad at this moment in time, our concerns might not be high on your agenda.
"However, we are writing to ask for your personal intervention in addressing deficiencies in the process of consultation which was laid bare during the Parliamentary Select Committee Petitions hearings on HS2 and which exposed the extent to which Woore Parishioners have been disenfranchised.
"The reason for this damning description lies in the recognition of the lack of communication and engagement from HS2 who did not even realise our village lay in the County of Shropshire and not Cheshire or Staffordshire.
'Living under siege'
"The parish was subsequently added to the next draft of documents and consequently initial awareness of these proposals were not notified until long after discussions began with neighbouring counties."
The council said it was concerned with the physical health of its residents due to an increase in pollution, the mental health of villagers due to the increase in HGVs being like "living under siege" and a hindrance to emergency vehicles coming into the area.
It said it was worried about the destruction of the rural environment and the potential for serious road traffic accidents.
The letter continues: "We are asking you to appoint a senior member of your Government to hold HS2 to account and intervene at the highest level to insist that HS2 plans affecting Woore Parish are suspended at this point until a full costing and feasibility assessment of the alternative solutions we have offered to HS2 have been completed.
"We are not aiming to stop HS2. We have not taken the easy route of ‘kicking the can down the hill’ as other counties seem to have managed.
"We are very angry that no-one is listening to the impact of what the current HS2 proposals mean for our community.
"It will be simply devastating on so many levels."
