1. Why do the Ramblers have a position on HS2?
The Ramblers exists to protect public footpaths and other routes used mainly as footpaths, to defend the beauty of the countryside against unsuitable development, and to enhance the walking environment. The Ramblers also campaigns for better public transport. HS2 has implications for all these aims.
At the latest General Council meeting, volunteer representatives voted in favour of the following motion, which forms the basis of our position on HS2:
This General Council, whilst reiterating Ramblers traditional support for public transport, believes that construction of the proposed High Speed 2 (HS2) railway line would scar many attractive areas of England, cause a high degree of damage to rights of way, and adversely affect local communities and facilities for outdoor recreation. Council therefore urges the Board of Trustees to join other like minded bodies in announcing support for the Charter for High Speed Rail published on 7 April by the Campaign to Protect Rural England. Council further urges the Board to campaign vigorously to reduce the adverse effects on rights of way on foot, and on the beauty of the countryside, of this or any other transport infrastructure development.
2. Why are the Ramblers anti-HS2; surely you should be for it?
The Ramblers are not ‘anti-HS2’, but we are concerned by a number of adverse factors which could in fact be improved. It will pass through an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and its effect will need to be mitigated; it will sever more than a hundred and fifty public paths unless proper provision is made for them; and, for all its benefits, it will not contribute to improvements in local public transport.
3. Why aren’t the Ramblers strongly against HS2; surely you should be against the proposals?
For all its effects, a railway is far preferable to a road. From some roads the noise of vehicles rarely ceases, day or night; but trains run intermittently. New roads encourage more car ownership and use, while trains are less harmful to the environment than cars. Properly managed, HS2 has the potential to encourage less car use.
The Ramblers subscribes to the Campaign to Protect Rural England’s ‘Right Lines’ Charter for High Speed Rail – http://www.cpre.org.uk/what-we-do/transport/rail/update/item/1683-a-charter-for-high-speed-rail – which sets out the principles for setting the project into the context of a long-term transport strategy, for testing the options, for involving the public in the decision-process and for minimising adverse impacts.
4. What have the HS2 company said with regards to footpaths so far?
That efforts will be made to protect them; but it is not clear that they are aware yet how many are involved, which in our estimation is likely to be about 150. Not until the route is finalised will they be able to assess the impact on them. At present they have referred to a handful of ‘strategic routes’, by which they appear to mean things like promoted trails. So we are by no means at present reassured that the company has the means to guarantee the continuity by one means or another (bridges, tunnels, sensible and acceptable diversions to convenient crossing-points) of anything like all the paths which otherwise will be severed by the route.
5. Why have HS2 not considered footpaths?
They have explained that all their assessment so far has been at ‘strategic level’, which means that they have not considered such fine detail as which individual paths will be affected and will not do so until the Government gives the go-ahead.
