Group plans best way forward in HS2 battle as council pledges another £100,000 to the cause

At a Cubbington Action Group Against HS2 meeting on Wednesday night, plans were discussed to continue to push for the project to be scrapped and to mitigate the effects of the Birmingham to London line if it is built through the Warwickshire countryside.

Several villagers are still adamant the plan should be stopped in its tracks but Richard Ferry, whose house would be about 200 metres from the track, suggested a more tempered approach could be the best way forward.

Mr Ferry said: “What appals me about this whole scheme is that democracy is the majority and the general public have not been included in this at all. If there was a referendum it would be overwhelmingly against. I feel the best option is to tunnel underneath Cubbington Wood. All the experts have said all the other options would destroy it.”

The 51m group, made up of 18 councils along the route, including Warwick District Council, is planning to launch a legal challenge against HS2.

District council leader Cllr Michael Doody (Con, Radford Semele) will ask for the authority to put aside £100,000 from its annual budget to support 51m’s campaign for the second year running.

Cllr Doody, who is a member of 51m’s executive committee, said: “I believe 51m has a lot of power because all those councils can fight against various things but the action groups have a part to play. There is more than £2 million in the kitty to fight HS2. We accept the idea of high-speed rail but not HS2.”

The Cubbington Action Group needs donations to continue its campaign. Details about the group and fundraising events can be found at hs2-cubbington.net