Conservatives Pledge More time For High Speed Rail Consultation

Local people in North Warwickshire are still coming to terms with the Government's recent announcement that its preferred route for a new High Speed Rail line from London to Birmingham will have a serious impact on local villages. Residents of Gilson, Water Orton and Middleton face having the new track run right past their villages, and in some cases literally through their houses and farms.

The Conservative Parliamentary Candidate for the area, former soldier Dan Byles, has obtained confirmation from the Conservative Transport team that a new Conservative Government will allow time for potential alternative route options to be considered before the start of their own consultation on the Conservatives' route from London to Birmingham, via Heathrow.

Dan said:

"I have been in close contact with Theresa Villiers, the Shadow Transport Secretary, to discuss local residents' concerns. She has assured me that this route is not a done deal, and that a new Conservative Government will not be bound by Labour's chosen route.

"If a Conservative Government is elected the company responsible for drawing up these plans will be told to go away and look again, with a number of key changes to their criteria. It is my hope that these changes will lead to an alternative route being recommended.

"Even if they come back with a similar route, we will gain months to prepare our case and to marshal our arguments, as the consultation process currently due to start in the autumn will be delayed.

"Should I become the local MP, I will get stuck in on day one to fight for the interests of local people. We need a Member of Parliament whose voice carries weight with the government. As a Conservative MP, I would be a strong voice for North Warwickshire in dealing with a new Conservative Government, and those precious few extra months could make all the difference."