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HS2: Legal action by a homeowner may delay HS2 work in London

    Kris Lubcek
    By Kris Lubcek Replies (7)

     

    A homeowner's legal action against High Speed 2 based on an engineer's report that planned the tunnels could damage her home.  The report was prepared by Colin Elliff, a specialist railway engineer who was brought in to assess the legitimacy of the Three Tunnels Design.

    Mr. Elliff’s report claimed the Three Tunnels Design could cause a huge 10-metre high, 120-year-old wall to collapse into the new tunnels below or onto the existing West Coast main line, potentially crushing railway passengers. Report said that 'Evidence shows the unstable wall creating 130 tonnes per metre of pressure downwards onto the proposed 9m wide tunnel just 1.5m below'.

    HS2 Ltd says the Three Tunnels Design is safe.

    In January 2020, High Court had granted  a judicial review into the major rail project’s tunnel design allowing  Hero Granger-Taylor, a Euston homeowner to bring legal proceedings against HS2.

    Hero Granger-Taylor's lawyer Jayesh Kunwardia (at law firm Hodge Jones & Allen) says in a press release that the new evidence provided by HS2 Ltd does not change the situation as a second engineering report by Colin Elliff show the new evidence “did nothing to change the fundamental conclusion of the original report – that the proposed construction of a new railway tunnel presents unacceptable risks.”

    Hero Granger-Taylor believes the planned tunnels breach her human rights and could endanger lives. Her legal costs are supported by a crowdfunding campaign. where she regularly posts updates.

     

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