HS2 - date set for court hearing in December

Altogether there will be five separate cases, the main one launched by a combination of 15 different local authorities - including Warwickshire County Council and Warwick District Council - who collectively call themselves the 51m group.

The name comes from the estimate that the scheme to link London, Birmingham, the North and Scotland would cost every parliamentary constituency £51 million.

At a meeting on July 27 all parties met in London with the judge, Mr Justice Ouseley, and set a timetable for all five cases to be heard together, but organised separately, starting on December 3.

Warwick District Council leader Cllr Michael Doody said: “We are delighted that the judge has decided to review this case in respect of the HS2 project which has no credible business plan and is a waste of taxpayers’ money.

“In a time of national austerity we must continue to protect our local businesses and residents who will not benefit from HS2.”

Cllr Doody firmly believes the projected £32 billion cost of HS2 would be better spent on enhancing the current railway networks as a whole instead of just two cities - London and Birmingham’s Curzon Street.

Thousands of homes and businesses are believed affected by the proposals.

· This article was corrected on August 7, 2012.