On December 29th, around 1,000 people turned out for a peaceful protest walk against HS2, organised by campaigners at Denham Country Park, to hear more about the destruction being caused by the controversial railway project.
On December 29th, around 1,000 people turned out for a peaceful protest walk against HS2, organised by campaigners at Denham Country Park, to hear more about the destruction being caused by the controversial railway project.
Speakers included wildlife campaigner Chris Packham, Colne Valley Regional Park President, Lord Randall of Uxbridge, and Sarah Green and Mark Kier of the Green Party.
They told the crowds of the widespread destruction being wrought by HS2 preparatory work – the loss of thousands of trees, habitats and wildlife in the Colne Valley, as well as the pollution posed to precious chalk aquifers and the drinking water supply by pile-driving work.
Lord Randall said the Colne Valley Regional Park has fought HS2 since the beginning, pointing out that not only local environment and wildlife are suffering, but also many businesses. People are losing their homes, and the area is being permanently marred.
Lord Randall & Chris Packham
Chris Packham in the crowd
The protesters walked through Denham Country Park to view the damage caused by HS2, and finished up at Blackford pumping station in Harefield, which faces closure. This was a well-supported protest, with a lively, upbeat atmosphere, and a clear message urging the government to scrap HS2 altogether.
Sarah Jane from Uxbridge took part in the protest. She said: “Like so many local people, I know HS2 is coming, but I wasn’t really aware of what the impact could be, so I came to learn. I have to say I’m really shocked about the scale of the devastation to the local environment, and that there is a threat of our drinking water being polluted. I didn’t realise that the tunnel drilling will require millions of litres of water every day. This pressure on our water sources could have devastating effects on our rivers and fragile chalk streams. When you learn more about the risks of what could happen to our local environment, it really is quite upsetting.”
If you would like to join the protest, please go to https://standforthetrees.org
For more information on our opposition to HS2, see Threats to the Colne Valley
Lord Randall (right) with Colne Valley Park Directors Paul Graham, Carol Gibson and Tony Booker
Canal walk with crowd
