"The extent of their competence is very worrying"

I write further to your article re Councillor Julie Dore’s comments upon HS2 and generally.

I am astonished at Coun Dore’s comments given it was her decision to support the revised route from Meadowhall to Sheffield Midland.

She did so in the knowledge that Sheffield would be bypassed by HS2 and that this route had a significantly higher impact upon South Yorkshire.

In effect all of the impact without any of the so-called benefits.

Many of our MPs and councils recognised the severity of those impacts, apart from Coun Dore and her cronies.

The preference was for HS2 to enter Sheffield Victoria, but, yet again, she failed to do the necessary to effect that route.

Whilstever Sheffield has an unimaginative Labour council, or a council that has tunnel vision, we will always be a third-rate city.

Ms Dore’s departure is questionable, but nevertheless welcome.

She actively sought to lobby HS2 Ltd for the revised route at great cost.

Despite significant opposition to the revised route, she has continued to support the ill-conceived project.

I am unsure why now she has decided to resign and ‘come out’.

It’s a pity that she did not recognise the immediate needs of the North, which is, of course, to connect not only cities, but to connect towns and communities and upgrade the commuter routes which would have a greater and more immediate impact.

Failing to address this aspect, but supporting a project that offers Sheffield and surrounding areas dubious benefits is madness.

Anyone who has come into contact with HS2 Ltd and its people find it difficult to accept that this organisation is capable of delivering a project of this nature.

HS2 Ltd has come to the area of Aston and every time they turn up, they offer a different design. HS2 Ltd has shown little or no understanding of the needs and concerns of this community.

We are no clearer now as to what is going to happen than when the first design was presented in summer 2016.

There is an innate culture of ‘defend, deny and delay’. HS2 Ltd has offered us an array of misleading information including wrong design information and dubious practices.

The extent of their competence is very worrying.

Consequently any trust which had originally existed has dissipated and I am personally at a loss to understand why the Government continue to support this company and its methods.