Green Party Leader Natalie Bennett speaks out against HS2, saying “the investment should be going into local infrastructure” instead.
Natalie Bennett and Highgate councillor Sian Berry at the Green Conference in Aston University, Birmingham
Green Party Leader and Camden resident and parliamentary contender Natalie Bennett has condemned HS2 rail link running from the capital through Birmingham, during the Greens’ conference in the city.
In an interview with a Camden New Journal reporter who travelled up to Birmingham to cover the Party conference, leader Natalie Bennett has renewed her prediction that the HS2 rail link will never get built, saying there was not enough public support for the “rich man’s railway” from Euston.
Natalie told the paper: “The investment should be going into the local infrastructure, into their local train and bus services instead.”
The Greens remain the only parliamentary party opposing HS2, which is currently planned to link London with Birmingham, after which it will branch with separate lines travelling towards Wigan and York.
According to the CNJ, HS2 looks set to cause years of disruption in Camden, where Natalie is standing next May in the Holborn and St. Pancras constituency. Even though a link-up route through Camden Town was axed from the plans earlier this year, residential areas around Euston and Regent’s Park will face the brunt of the redevelopment with a forest of skyscrapers predicted – towers which will be marketed to help dent the cost of the project.
Ms Bennett said: “There is not really strong public support for HS2. There are special interest groups that are supporting it but there’s an awful lot of opposition, and it’s very varied opposition from communities in Camden who are very resistant, through to the Cheshire shires. It goes to lots of northern towns and cities who are recognising that they are going to have this bullet slicing through them but they are not going to see any benefit from it.”