Railroading HS2 through

Published: 14 April, 2011

• WHEN I read your interview (New HS2 homes ‘will be in Camden’, April 7), 

I wondered about Ian Jordan. 

It seems, his job is to railroad through the project as his future “project management” is not defined as dependent on “public consultation” or the credibility of his “overall case” (parliamentary answer). 

This may account for the inaccuracy of his New Journal interview statement that “quite a lot of people at the roadshows were supportive of the case for high speed rail” (even though, at two local public meetings, over 600 of the same people voted unanimously against his project). 

Many experts have dismissed the HS2 demand/performance graphs as flawed. 

So his “overall case development” currently relies heavily on marketing via naff futuristic images of assorted high speed trains. 

And who is Mr Jordan to reassure us that the replacement housing will be in Camden, without sharing any details? 

Is he proposing to develop Hampstead Heath for housing? 

Apart from building over railway land, it is hard to imagine where such a large housing development could be sited. 

Or has a deal been done with the council? 

And regarding his “programme and project management” remit, this housing project needs to be started soon to be ready for the demolition of the existing Regent’s Park estate homes which at the roadshow I was told would be the first project operation in 2017.

JEFF TRAVERS
Camden