No Vote means you will not be told of HS2 plans in Belsize

No VOTE No SAY!

I am shocked and appalled to have canvassed many local Belsize residents, especially if they are not on the voting register, simply appear to have been ignored by Camden and all the political parties in relation to HS2 consultation.  To further evidence my concerns I have only on Tuesday 16th May discovered that the recently announced HS2 Belsize Workshop with Camden Officers of 19th May 2pm to 8pm at Swiss Cottage Library was actually as reported to me by a Camden officer at the request of a Belsize councillor which smacks of political opportunism just 2 days before the local elections and only three days to the deadline for petition submission on the 23rd May. 

What is so scary that many of our local residents still do not know of the highly disruptive tunnelling and air ventilator shaft plans that will unless the HS2 route changes will go ahead through Belsize in 2019 with massive “utility” preparation works from 2016 – 2018 in Fellows Road, Eton Avenue and other surrounding streets, it is not yet known the full extent of the collateral disruption to our iconic leafy area. I call this the community party political disconnect. No Vote No Consult. How often have local politicians seen every day asking at the doors to find out if the electorate lives at an address, when told they don't have voting rights for what ever reason, the politician hastily makes a retreat. Is this a "true" sign of democracy. NO. When I have canvassed a non voter, I still capture their local concerns and inform, especially on matters such as HS2, which most certainly effects them on Eton Avenue. This is the BIG advantage of being Independent.

The disruptions to Eton Avenue will adversely affect the local school run to the large number of private schools there. Also Fellows Road together with parts of Adelaide Road will see the bulk of the disruptive preparation GAS and water mains replacement works ahead of the tunnelling operations currently scheduled to start anytime around 2019. The disruption to Belsize could last a decade,

Those that have been notified by local political party communications have been told that HS1-HS2 Link through Camden (Camden Town) has been cancelled, which it has, But many have been therefore by use of clever wording been falsely given wrong impression that Belsize HS2 route has been changed or cancelled, which it has not.

I am also surprised by the large number of people asking me about the phoney Tory referendum and the official HS2 petition. It is clear to many that the former is nothing more than a shrewd ruse to gather email, phone number, voter intentions intel-op, as for the later which is being promoted by Camden council is a “real” petition direct to Government Select committee, which must be delivered to Portcullis House together with a payment of £20. Many of the economically challenged families most likely to be hit along the council estates route from Euston all the way past Kilburn simply do not have spare money or access to legal advice on making the highly legalised worded formatted petitions. This is a very divisive and undemocratic process.

Groundhog Day Talks on HS2 revisited!

Copyright of (c) 2012 Ham & High, Cartoonist Ken Pyne

This cartoon about the stupidity of so-called HS2 Consultation was created by cartoonist Ken Pyne of Ham & High back in 2012 to accompany a letter that of mine that the paper had published about the craziness of HS2 and the "Deja Vu" effect that I later coined the phrase "Groundhog Day Talks"

This is the letter I wrote back in 2012 at yet again another HS2 Community forum. Not much progress has been made from 2010 to 2012 and little if any progress has been made to the present Day with now the consultation over and "only" the petition which is a very specific legal instrument that must be formatted and written in a very precise way, delivered to Portcullis House, House of Parliament by 23rd May 2014 and a submission fee of £20 to boot!

Just in case you are wondering "Deep Piles" is a technical expression and not actually a medical condition from sitting in so many consultation meetings, but one could easily think both was true!

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As I reported several weeks ago after attending a HS2 Primrose Hill to Kilburn route consultation HS2 Community Forum on 28th March 2012 at Swiss Cottage Library. I made several points.

Which the HS2 meeting chair / facilitator agreed with me;

1. Consultation is not making progress and learning in what has previously been gained from previous consultations.

2. The route has endless "wriggle room" possibilities with no real drive to create an effective and minimal impacting route.

3. Engineering uncertainties skewing route on risks based on "Deep Piles" and "Boggy Pockets" along the route, creating much uncertainty for the residents Gloucester Avenue and King Henrys Road, Primrose Hill.

A few days ago circulated to all meeting participants, I received a draft "Primrose Hill to Kilburn Notes" by email.

Where I was compelled to make this reply:

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"Dear HS2 Community Forum Chair HS2 Ltd.

If this is an example of a quality document (I am taking draft edition into consideration when I say this) capturing the views and opinions expressed at this highly activated and mobilised meeting then I am now compelled to revisit all my copious notes from the said meeting.

What has been attempted here is a distillation of thoughts and real concerns into a bubble diagram of key tag words.

'Boggy Pockets', 'Deep Piles' and numerous other concerns are there but statements from representatives on the almost unanimous consensual view that no one felt that this consultation process came anywhere close to being a meaningful actual consultation process is notable by its exclusion.

Please also note you have me listed as representing a Co-Op Housing Association at Camden Council!

I am a co-opted member of Camden Council Housing and Adult Social Care Scrutiny Committee.

Clearly, it appears that there is a cohesive luck of focus with attention to details on all HS2 Limited consultation processes this far. Which let me remind is essential to the of 'Duty of Care' and Due Diligence of HS2 consultation as stipulated in legal framework of consultative law.

Regards

Nigel Rumble
Co-Opted member of
Camden Council Housing and Adult Social Care Scrutiny Committee."
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I received this statement from the HS2 Community Forum secretariat by email.

"I have amended the notes to cover members’ scepticism around the overall forums process."

So I have achieved a victory of sorts as I have managed to get recorded that there was members scepticism at the HS2 consultation meeting!

I will not pass judgement here of the response but just go back to my opening line "Groundhog Day Talks" you may have seen the movie, imagine every day starting again over and over. That's HS2 Consultation.

I was going to use the Möbius Loop as another metaphor, but settled on "Groundhog Day" due to its more closely fitting the point I was articulating.
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