RESIDENTS can be rest assured that construction traffic from the controversial High Speed Rail scheme will not affect Iver High Street, officials have said.

There were concerns that traffic would be re-routed through the busy street  during the construction phase of the track, but railway chiefs have vowed to move the traffic flow elsewhere.

The assurance came after “intense negotiations” between Buckinghamshire County Council and HS2 Ltd, the firm behind the railway line between London and Birmingham.

Council leaders secured a string of mitigation packages from HS2 Ltd, including thousands of pounds towards traffic calming measures across the county and moving traffic away from Iver High Street and Bangors Road.

Councillor Martin Kett, leader of the county council, said: “Securing mitigation from HS2 Ltd can quite frankly feel like pulling teeth, so winning this new package of measures, which will make a real difference to local residents, is a testament to the hard work of the county council and its partners.

I’ve made no secret of my opposition to this vanity project – and it would be far better if the Government stopped at the £2bn it has already wasted on HS2 without a single piece of track being laid, rather than spend a further £53bn on it.”

He added: “The decision to expand Heathrow makes the case for HS2 even weaker, as the line was originally justified as an alternative to the third runway.”

Council bosses will discuss HS2’s proposals to move the traffic elsewhere before bringing the suggestions before a council committee.

A spokesman said: “We have told HS2 Ltd that Iver High Street and Bangors Road are unsuitable for their construction vehicles.

“It is for HS2 Ltd to present us as the Highways Authority with an alternative route and we would then decide whether or not to approve.”