• A FORMER HS2 head of property has turned whistleblower to reveal that the scheme’s budget for buying land and buildings was wrong by “billions” of pounds and that he and other staff were pressured to cover up these inaccuracies, (says an article in The Sunday Times, June 17).

The compensation estimates, he said, reflected “map-based analysis by interns”. Payments to Camden for housing and property near Euston, for example, will come to £38million more than originally budgeted, it said.

HS2 told parliament that buying property and land for phase one would cost £2.8 billion. However, the true figure, according to the fired department head’s calculations, would be closer to £4.7 billion.

As a result, HS2 may have misled both its own board and parliament, it is alleged. How can the project be allowed to go ahead until this matter is cleared up?

ELLIN STEIN
Rona Road, NW3