HS2 Ltd is not a limited company in the true sense of the word.

HS2 Ltd is the Department for Transport in disguise.

Alison Munro’s comment that ‘we have every sympathy with those affected’ and that the 2016 choice of route was ‘environmentally the right choice’ makes one wonder which definition of ‘environmentally’ Alison is referring to.

I suspect many environmentalists would challenge her view.

Both the 2013 route and 2016 route are very bad choices given the geology of the area.

HS2 Ltd realised the 2013 route would have seriously impaired the strategic storage of gas in the salt strata to the east of King Street, the A530.

In order to avoid that it seems they merely drew a line to the west to avoid this strategically-important area without any thought for the consequences for the impact on populations and businesses.

I bet a pound to a penny that neither Roberts Bakery or Morrisons were consulted; or the farming community or the residents of Wymboldsley, Stanthorne, Billinge Green or Whatcroft.

The new choice of route will entail building embankments and viaducts across the River Dane and the Trent and Mersey Canal at Whatcroft.

The embankment sections will be in the region of 25 metres high.

To carry twin tracks, the bases will have to be in the region of 75 metres wide.

The sheer volume of these structures and the enormous weight involved will be crossing an area of geological weakness, evidence of which can be seen with the many areas of subsidence along both the 2013 and 2016 proposed routes.

On top of this is the enormous noise pollution that will be caused by 18 trains per hour, each with 1,000-seat capacity travelling in excess of 225mph.

HS2 Ltd suggest that earthen bund walls will be built to alleviate the spread of this pollution.

On top of an embankment 25 metres high?

That will entail an even wider base to the embankment, say another 75 metres.

An even greater loading on to an area of geological weakness.

Couple this with aircraft noise on the approach corridors to Manchester Airport, and the decibel count will break every environmental law in the UK.

So, in order to create these enormous structures, a construction corridor at least 200 metres wide will be needed and could well be wider where the embankments would be built.

Is this scaremongering? No - the construction of HS1 in Kent only has to be studied to prove my point.

To make matters worse, this latest proposal will require the A556 between the A530 roundabout and the A559 roundabout at Lostock Gralam to be radically realigned.

So all those who live alongside this stretch of the A556 will be affected.

Were the developers of Cookes Meadow made aware of this possibility and were those who bought houses on this development aware of this?

If comments made on Friday by some buyers are right, the answer is a resounding no.

So, what options are there?

Firstly, the Government could abort this white elephant and instead concentrate funding on vital areas such as the NHS, social care and mental health.

All these areas are in desperate need of extra funding now.

These services provide the care to millions, whilst HS2 will never be able to offer a comparable level of service.

Secondly, if the Government ignores us and goes ahead, the only viable choice would appear to be the M6 route, running parallel with the motorway from just north of Keele Services to a point between junctions 18 and 19 then running to the east of Knutsford and west of Mobberley, then in a straight line to Manchester Airport.

This would shorten the line by several kilometres and at a cost of £1.375m per kilometre, that’s some saving.

Oh I forgot, the second option cannot happen because it would upset too many of George Osborne’s constituents, hence the so-called Tatton Bend avoiding Knutsford.

Ewen Simpson Whatcroft