Press Release from

Rt Hon Dame Cheryl Gillan MP

House of Commons, LONDON, SW1A 0AA

Date:  Friday 18 October 2019

DAME CHERYL GILLAN MP, DEFENDS GREAT MISSENDEN WITH LOCAL RESIDENTS AND REPEATS HER CALLS FOR THE HS2 ENABLING AND MITIGATION WORKS TO BE PAUSED

Dame Cheryl had a very early start on Friday when she met with local residents in Great Missenden during the rush hour at the Link Road site where HS2 have started their first stage of a three phase programme of enabling and mitigation works this week.

Dame Cheryl talked to campaigners and applauded their efforts to voice their concerns on the impact this will have on our environment, local high street stores, traffic congestion and access to local schools.

The visit followed her question in the House of Commons yesterday to the Leader, Rt Hon Jacob Rees-Mogg MP, when she urged the Transport Secretary to have courage and cancel HS2 Phase One. Dame Cheryl said “despite Buckinghamshire County Council, Chiltern District Council and myself and the local councillors all asking the Department for Transport to halt the enabling works at Great Missenden for HS2 until the Oakervee report has come in, they have gone ahead. We have traffic chaos on the A413…pictures of an ambulance and a fire engine being held up. Eight trees are going to be felled and people are demonstrating outside Great Missenden.”

Dame Cheryl will again be writing to HS2 Ltd and the contractor Fusion, as well as ministers to try and get a pause in these works at the very least until the Oakervee Review has reported on the viability of HS2 Phase One.

ENDS – for further information, please contact the Rt Hon Dame Cheryl Gillan MP via 020 7219 3777.