HS2 viaduct will blight people’s lives

THE revised plan for Phase B of HS2 does nothing to alleviate the ongoing misery for thousands of residents in Woodlesford, Oulton and Rothwell.

The change only serves to increase the long lasting negative impact as it shortens the tunnel and creates a 20ft-high viaduct that will blight people’s lives for generations. Nor does it reduce in any way the negative environmental impact that construction work will have on the area for eight years.

The revised plans are Transport Secretary Chris Grayling’s attempt to suggest that he has listened to concerns, is mindful of environmental impact and has a handle on costs.

Like Mr Grayling, it is failing.

No doubt this latest minor adjustment in the map has cost millions in consultancy fees.

Continued delays of investment in existing public transport, specifically, rail travel in the North of England will continue to cost jobs, business growth and harm further our environment.

If the Conservative government’s long game is to scrap HS2, now is the time to do that. Before more money is wasted or opportunity squandered, they should be honest and ditch this plan in favour of investment in rail networks and clean rolling stock for the north of England.

From: Henri Murison, Director, Northern Powerhouse Partnership.

THE detail of the first link between HS2 and Northern Powerhouse Rail to Liverpool, jointly developed by HS2 and Transport for the North, is a significant landmark (The Yorkshire Post, June 7).

There are further interconnections between HS2 and Northern Powerhouse Rail in Leeds which are still being developed, and I have every confidence that as a package they will deliver an integrated high speed network for the North.”

HS2 and Northern Powerhouse Rail are designed to be developed and built alongside one another. They will have the greatest economic impact together because there are multiplier benefits to having improved North-South and East-West links being delivered by 2032 in full – Northern Powerhouse Partnership’s recommended timescale. A report by Addleshaw Goddard makes a strong case for why Northern Powerhouse Rail should be approved alongside the current already committed infrastructure in the Budget.

From: Graham Brown, Alverthorpe Road, Wakefield.

HENRI Murison (The Yorkshire Post, June 5 and 6) continues to join together the need for both HS2 and Northern Powerhouse Rail. Whilst the former is a costly white elephant for which no viable economic case can be made, the latter is essential for the development of the North. It is not essential to have both. The cost of HS2 will wipe out any chance of the North being connected across the Pennines.

I would like to ask Mr Murison whether, given an either/or choice he would opt for HS2 or Northern Powerhouse Rail – no argument about having both, but a straight decision. One or the other. Over to you for a one-sentence, straightforward answer.

From: M J Thompson, Cantley, Doncaster.

IN reference to the 20 per cent discount for rail travellers going to Leeds Arena and York Barbican.

Living in Doncaster, I have to travel by car to these venues as most evening shows usually finish later than the last train. This once again shows that public transport does not cater for the travelling public.

Trump insults others daily

From: Martin Graham. Meltham, Holmfirth.

I REFER to the letter from Dick Lindley (The Yorkshire Post, June 6), who is crying into his cornflakes for fear Donald Trump has been insulted on his recent visit to London.

Donald Trump – a spoilt manchild and bully whose raison d’etre is to insult people on a daily basis. A compulsive liar, racist and misogynist who openly mocks minority groups and insults millions of people via the idiotic world of Twitter.

The fact that Mr Lindley is genuinely concerned Trump might have been offended, quite frankly, beggars belief.

From: Robert Holman, Farsley, Leeds.

WHAT disgraceful behaviour on the BBC from the people objecting to the US President’s state visit. Were it not for America’s men and materials during the war, they would not be worrying about Brexit – we would have fallen to Hitler.

Being stationed in Lincolnshire with RAF Bomber Command, I’ve never forgotten seeing formations of Flying Fortresess going on daylight raids – also the brave convoys of food ships coming to feed cut-off Britain. God bless America with my gratitude and our hard-won right to free speech, along with diplomacy.

From: Jerry Diccox, Main Street, Darley.

THE Yorkshire Post recently published an item entitled ‘Intimidation is a real danger to our democracy’. The article was intended to be amusing but was quite the opposite as it referred to the serious and worrying problem of intimidation towards MPs.

However, I laughed at the whimsical suggestion that “if we don’t like how they [MPs] do their job, we can vote them out”. The author, Jonathan Evans, Chair of the Committee on Standards in Public Life, has presumably not been, as I have, a constituent of three successive Tory “safe-seat” MPs.

Voting out these complacent and comfortable MPs, Mr Evans, doesn’t work, for despite what they do (or rather, do not do), and despite their often wafer-thin interest in issues that are brought to their attention, there are plenty of other people who think they deserve to be voted back in.

It is no wonder a record number of people are fed up with our stale, unrepresentative politcal system and seek alternative ways to get their voices heard.