Cubbington HS2 protestors walk the line

Seventy eight people took part in protest walks last Sunday, organised by the village’s Action Group Against HS2, which followed the proposed route through the greenest and most tranquil parts of the parish and marked the second year since the plans were announced.

Participants commented on drastic cuts to transport services, the national debt, and Transport Secretary Justine Greening’s proposed increases to the cost of rail travel.

Richard Ferry, whose home for the past 50 years would be about 200 metres from the track, said the lack of mitigation in Cubbington compared to areas further south on the line would be unfair.

Other walkers said: “The cost of HS2 will be a bottomless pit.

“They’ll build it and sell it at a loss.

“I grew up in this area, so did my grandparents and I love the countryside.

“It seems a terrible thing to destroy people’s homes and livelihoods, what benefit do we get?”

Walk leaders Rosemary Guiot and Karen Lewis-Bell organised three different walks varying in distance but all focusing on the destruction of the south of Cubbington Wood and the rare 250-year-old pear tree, the proposed viaduct 11 metres above the River Leam and the communities which will be affected by HS2 on Coventry Road and Leicester Lane.

Group chairman Peter Delow gave a running commentary describing the 35-metre wide rail cutting, which would severe the wood and several well-used public footpaths.

Posters showing construction work carried out for the HS1 project to indicate the effect HS2 could have on the area have been put up in the wood.

The action group has organised guided Anemone Walks through the wood, which will take place on Sundays March 25 and April 1 from 2.30pm and also this Monday and the next (March 26) from 10am.

The walks will start at the King’s Head pub in Church Hill and all are welcome including dogs on leads.

For more information call 425283 or go online.