5th August 2013
[UPDATE : Click here to see the HS2 response to this article.]
You may remember that we highlighted mistakes made on a map which was amongst the HS2 documents released in January. Amongst other errors, this failed to show Staveley Town Basin. Click here if you missed the article. It is the last (fifth) map.
Believe it or not they have done it again.
This is a screenshot of a map that HS2 have released as part of their consultation. You can download it by clicking here then clicking on Plan and Profile Maps – Eastern Leg, then clicking on Staveley Infrastructure Maintenance Depot, then downloading Staveley IMD Key Plan.
It is exactly the same map as that on our article referred to above. Staveley Town Basin is not marked – it should be where there is an S in the middle of the map. There is a road shown which does not exist etc.
The above is from the same page, but downloading Staveley IMD plan and profile sheet 1 of 2.
Apparently HS2 are still unaware that Staveley Town Basin (opened in January 2012) exists. It should be at A on the map. They still have the canal ending at Mill Green, B on the map.
This map was signed off on 30th May this year, see above. If it is not clear enough, see the enlargement below. Our original article has been on our website since 3rd February and has been seen by over 4000 people. By 30th May, there had been several meetings between the Chesterfield Canal Partnership, Derbyshire County Council and HS2. HS2 had been sent DCC’s engineering drawings.
Specifically, the question of Staveley had been raised at a meeting in London on 29th April. We had been told that the HS2 engineers would respond within a month, so there is no question that they knew of the basin’s existence.
As this map is part of the consultation documents, we wonder whether HS2 actually know what they are consulting about.
We can only repeat what we put under the original incorrect map.
In 1769, John Varley walked or rode the entire length of the canal before producing a map to show to Parliament. This was for a project expected to cost £95,000. It is a shame that no one seems to have set foot in Staveley for a project expected to cost £33,000,000,000 (except now it’s £46,000,000,000!).
For reference, here are a couple of up to date views.