Construction officially begins on HS2 project at sites near Leamington and Kenilworth today

Preparation and clearance works have been ongoing at Cubbington Woods and Crackley Woods as well as at land in and around Offchurch and Long Itchington for months but HS2 will now ramp up its efforts at these sites.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson has described the project as 'an important tool in Britain’s economic recovery'.

Nikki Jones, of the Help Stop HS2 campaign, said: “HS2 say they have the potential to create 22,000 jobs but they don’t tell you about the 19,000 jobs lost due to the project, not to mention the homes, farmland and businesses that have been taken away from people, many of whom are still awaiting payment after having been evicted.

"HS2 is not the ‘green’ project it is portrayed as.

"It is completely unwanted, unaffordable and unnecessary.

"We already have a perfectly good train line between London and Birmingham, and in the aftermath of Covid trains are running practically empty.

"People have learnt a new way of working.

"Boris and his government are completely out of touch. It’s time they stop imposing this undemocratic project on us.

"We, the taxpayers, do not want to fund it.

"The government needs to focus on the new normal, a greener future. People are more interested in high speed broadband than high speed rail. With high speed broadband I can join a meeting in London or Birmingham or Leeds in minutes.

"I think that makes their £106billion price tag for a 20-minute saving look rather silly. Don’t you?”