'Surely some of that HS2 money could be better spent right here?'

Turnstone column, by John Maiden

At a time when the Government is spending billions of pounds on preparations for a ‘no deal’ Brexit, which may never happen, it was refreshing to learn that it is to launch a review of High Speed 2, which also may never happen!

Billions of pounds has already been spent on HS2, but the review will consider how the project should proceed, or if it ought to be scrapped completely!

A few years ago, Sir Henry Bellingham set up a meeting at which a few members of Hunstanton and District Civic Society put forward ideas to the Coastal Communities Minister for improving Hunstanton .

One of our suggestions was to restore the Lynn to Hunstanton railway line.

Afterwards, Sir Henry invited us to observe a meeting of the Parliamentary Select Committee on HS2.

In the short time we were there, it was brought home to us very forcibly just how disruptive HS2 had already been to local communities living along the proposed route.

Perhaps by the end of this year, when the review is supposed to be completed, Transport Secretary Grant Shapps will realise that the money required to complete the project would be better spent on improving the existing rail network.

Possibly, our MP will then show the same enthusiasm for reconnecting Hunstanton to the national rail network as he has for ‘disconnecting’ this country from the European Union, thereby increasing the very real prospect of a ‘disunited’ Kingdom, with Scotland and the Six counties in the north of Ireland wanting to honour the results of their Brexit referendums, which were in favour of remaining in the European Union.