27 June 2013
Green Councillors have welcomed the announcement that the HS2 line is now set to be built another 125 metres further to the east of Chelmsley Wood, now 200 metres from the nearest home. But it's still too close!
Original plans showed the HS2 rail line crossing Bluebell Recreation Ground as well as a Yorkminster Drive diversion over the park and Coleshill Heath Road over the railway on a road bridge. New plans show the line leaving Bluebell Rec in tact but instead decimating the Heath Park football fields on the other side of Yorkminster Drive. Worse still, the line will now be on a viaduct 10 to 16 metres high as it passes Chelmsley Wood.
Why this change?
Constant requests from local residents and Chelmsley Wood Councillors made realignment at Chelmsley Wood a constant agenda item at any meeting with HS2 Ltd. or Solihull Council. While realignment to the east is positive, the higher vertical alignment is not. However, HS2 Ltd. have admitted that the route, if kept at the original horizontal alignment would also have had to be higher than the original plans.
The change is considered to have a slightly lower noise and environmental impact for Chelmsley Wood, which is welcome, but it's still too great an impact and the line is closer than necessary. A further realignment to the east is possible should HS2 be willing to ease some of their design requirements and allow wider curves and slower speeds.
Councillors Chris Williams and Karl Macnaughton are continuing to raise concerns over the proximity to Chelmsley Wood and if the route is built on its current route, for like-for-like compensation of parkland.
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