Talking of major disruption to Bucks homes…

The Government plans for a new proposed high speed rail link between London and Birmingham were published last week in both the Bucks Herald and Bucks Free Press. Wherever “High Speed Two” is sited (unless built underground the entire way) it is bound to cause upset, disruption and controversy, as lets face it, no one is going to want it in their back yard. There are two routes identified, along which there are many homes and businesses which now face uncertainty until the route is finalised (assuming “HS2” goes ahead!).

According to the press, there are dozens of towns and villages in Buckinghamshire that will be potentially affected along this £17bn high speed rail scheme, including those with properties in Denham, Chalfont St.Peter, Chalfont St. Giles, Seer Green, Beaconsfield, Amersham, Great Missenden, Wendover, Stoke Mandeville, Aylesbury, Hartwell and Quainton to name a few. According to page 4 of the Bucks Herald on 17th March 2010 “Construction on the line could start in 2019. It would take about seven years to build, meaning it would not be operational until at least 2026.”

I do feel terribly sorry for Bucks home owners who live along either the preferred route through the Buckinghamshire countryside, as well as those along the alternative route, as until settled, residents who had planned to sell will probably find it harder to do so and will therefore be reluctant to carry out home improvements in order to assist any future sale. Conversely, if Bucks property owners along these proposed routes know now they may end up being “stuck” where they are for many years, they may decide to fit double glazing to insulate their homes against future noise pollution from high speed trains, so as to maintain a high a quality of life as possible, both now and in such circumstances.

According to the Bucks Herald “Transport Secretary Andrew Adonis has endorsed the recommendations of High Speed Two Ltd. which was set up last year to come up with the scheme.” Frankly, whatever politicians tell us now, whichever party is in government after the next General Election is likely to build a high speed rail link from Birmingham to London, so let us all hope that they do it in the least disruptive way, reaching an early final decision if it is going ahead to release Buckinghamshire home owners from the current position of “not knowing”.