Schoolchildren, farmers and homeowners all met with a group of influential MPs as they toured south Bucks today to see what impact HS2 would have on the county.

Residents spoke of plummeting property prices, a loss of viability to their businesses and the serious impact construction traffic would have on them when members of the HS2 Select Committee visited the county.

They saw for themselves the areas the proposed multi billion pound railway line would cut through, should, as looks increasingly likely, the project is given the go-ahead by the government.

One of the Committee members, Henry Bellingham, chatted briefly to pupils from Hyde Heath Infant School – who spoke of their worries building work would have on woodland and wildlife around the village.

Headteacher Alison Whittall voiced her concerns at the financial impact the school would be hit with if pupils weren’t able to travel to the village.

She told the Bucks Free Press: “Children travel here from Amersham, Chesham and Ballinger. There will be seven years’ worth of travel disruption, which will cause problems for families travelling.

“We asked HS2 to make sure we’ve got the funds to keep the school open throughout the building work.

“They did take an interest and asked pertinent questions. I think they were fair and weren’t trying to skirt over the issues.”

Another headteacher, Eddie Richings of Robertswood School in Chalfont St Peter, told the committee of his concerns over construction traffic in the area around his school.

Up to 20 HGV journeys could be made past the school every day over a nine month period to allow access to a vent shaft for a tunnel and Mr Richings said: “Already cars are mounting the pavements. There have been lots of near misses – adding HGVs to the mix will make things worse.”

The Committee was escorted around the Chalfonts, Amersham and Great Missenden area by MP Cheryl Gillan.

They were met by a particularly large turn-out of people at the disused Annie Bailey’s restaurant on the Chesham Road near Great Missenden.

A large cutting is planned to be built here – straight through farmland owned by Ross Pusey.

He said: “The fields are going to be cut to sizes and shapes we can’t let, we can’t farm and we can’t readily access. All the time, we are losing viability. We are losing over 200 acres in total – our farm is 360 acres.”

And Stuart Hogg, a resident of Sibley’s Rise near Great Missenden, said HS2 had wiped £50,000 off the value of his home – which he bought three months before the announcement on the route of the line was made.

He said: “When they cut down that woodland, there’s no sound protection, and there will be the added sound [from the building work]. They won’t be able to plant any trees on the green tunnel.”