Protest United

No matter  which side of the fence you sit on the vexed proposal to build a new high-speed rail link between London and Birmingham and then on to the North, the community feeling around the streets of this part of West London is clear — many are firmly opposed to the idea.
Small wonder, for those who live in the vicinity of the proposed route.  Not only do they not see the necessity for it, but they fear the disruption its construction is likely to create as well as viewing the intrusion it will cause in their daily lives as unwelcome.
All over the neighbouring towns of Ickenham and Ruislip in West London will you see signs like this, on fences, hedgerows at road junctions and even on lamp posts. The message is clear — the entire project should be buried.
They base their arguments on the belief that no business case has been made for the need of a high speed railway, no environmental case has been made out, and there is no money to pay for it.  Estimates on cost vary between £43 billion and £80 billion.
Yet the government is adamant the high speed link is crucial, and present estimates are that  work on the first phase of the project will begin in two year’s time and the line will be open in little more than ten year’s time. The government believes if all goes according to its plan, the entire route from London to Manchester and with a branch to Yorkshire could be open in 18 years’ time.
None of this will appease the Stop HS2 protest group who see towns like this and swathes of countryside being blighted.  Nor are they hesitating to get their message across!