Amersham and Chalfonts Together - September October 2021 Issue

THE YOUNG JOURNALIST
HS2: Friend or Foe?
HS2 (High Speed 2) is a railway network
currently under construction and is
prevalent in discussions regarding the
environment.
Concerns over its ecological impact have lead
to protests, whilst the HS2 website assures
the public that ‘it will be one of the most
environmentally responsible infrastructure
projects ever in the UK.’ The route directly affects
Amersham and surrounding towns including
Chalfont St. Giles and Chalfont St. Peter and
understandably results in unease in our
communities about how our environment
and lives might be affected. As the closest
HS2 station in our area - Old Oak Common -
would be a 45-minute drive from Amersham,
we must look at the bigger picture when
considering the benefits HS2 could have.
The exhumation of an expected 3,000 bodies
from the Medieval St. Mary’s Church, on route
of the rail network is a unique opportunity to
deepen our knowledge of the Norman period as
well as conscientiously excavating sites of historic
interest, HS2 proposes a ‘green corridor’ of
woodlands, ponds, and meadows running
alongside the track to create a network of
habitats; the use of this green corridor could
range from recreation to farming.
By replacing cars and planes as national
transport, HS2 claims that its long-term
environmental impact will greatly reduce national
carbon emissions. A shift from road to rail freight
would reduce carbon emissions by 76% and
carrying over 300,000 passengers a day, HS2
would reduce the number of people using
carbon-emitting vehicles. But what about the
carbon produced by HS2 itself? The rail network
strives to be energy-efficient and uses renewable
sources of energy. It is reassuring to know that,
as stated on the HS2 website, ‘Phase One of HS2
will produce less carbon than one month’s road
transport emissions.’
HS2 however, poses many potential threats to
our local wildlife habitats, especially ancient
woodlands. The Woodland Trust describes HS2
as ‘the biggest single threat from development
to ancient woodland’. In Buckinghamshire, four
ancient woodlands will be directly affected
by its construction. Although HS2 has claimed
that it will ‘translocate’ these habitats, Natural
England confirms that an ‘ancient woodland
ecosystem cannot be moved’. This loss of
woodland habitat would endanger our protected
species such as bats and badgers in addition to
destroying sanctuaries of historic interest for local
communities.
Construction might also contaminate our water
supply. After being initially refused information,
recently-elected MP, Sarah Green persevered
to gain access to HS2’s internal analysis of risk
to water supplies. Local water supplies to
Amersham and Chalfont St. Giles are two of
six public water sources affected, therefore the
water coming through our taps might be more
heavily processed and treated. A plethora of
both concerns and support for this infrastructure
project are emerging every day and as residents
of a uniquely precious area, we should keep
informed and support appeals to mitigate the
environmental and social impacts of HS2. Read
more about Buckinghamshire Council’s stance
on HS2 here: www.buckscc.gov.uk/services/
environment/high-speed-2-hs2/
Sanchi
16 Amersham & Chalfonts Together is part of Community Together