11.10.13
Supreme Court to hear anti-HS2 appeals
Anti-HS2 campaigners are due to have their appeals heard by the Supreme Court next week.
Three groups are still involved in trying to stop or change HS2 through the legal process, including a coalition of 10 councils, HS2 Action Alliance, and Heathrow Hub that wants a different route.
The campaigners have so far had little success through the courts, succeeding only in forcing the DfT to re-run part of its consultation. Five local authorities have dropped out of the legal action in the face of the failures.
The appeal will be heard on October 15 and 16.
Judges at the Court of Appeal earlier gave the campaign groups permission to appeal on the grounds of a lack of a Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA), saying this should have been undertaken before the decision to go ahead with HS2 was made in January 2012.
Judge Lord Justice Sullivan said in July: “If, as I have concluded, an SEA is required and there has not been substantial compliance with the SEA Directive, it would be difficult to think of a more egregious breach of the Directive given the scale of the HS2 project and the likely extent of its effects on the environment.”
Buckinghamshire County Council leader Cllr Martin Tett said: “As the Court of Appeal has given us leave to appeal to the Supreme Court we believe that there is an excellent chance that this appeal will be successful.”
A Department for Transport spokesman said: “HS2 is absolutely vital if we are to meet the urgent capacity needs we face. Attempts to obstruct HS2 have already been firmly rejected by two courts. The Government will continue to defend any challenge in the Supreme Court, but strongly believes Parliament is the right place to debate the merits of HS2, not the courts.”
Tell us what you think – have your say below or email [email protected]