A RESIDENT who lives next to the Government's proposed route for a High Speed train line said the plans made him feel “physically sick”.

There was a fierce reaction from Chilterns residents who live close to the chosen route, which was published on Thursday. For maps of the detailed routes see the links at the bottom of the story.

Edward Ward, 39, lives off Chesham Road, near South Heath and said: “I actually felt physically sick when I heard the news. I'm unemployed so money is a worry and now I can't relocate to find a job.

“From an environmental point of view the route beggars belief.

"We are not even allowed to put up a shed or a green house because the land is considered to be so beautiful and this could go slap bang through the middle of pristine countryside – it's extraordinary.

“The impact on people here will be immediate and catastrophic because we are now sitting on a house we can't sell. My hope is that whichever Government comes in next they simply rip this up.”

His neighbour Roy Hussain, 46, said: “Obviously it's right on our doorstep so it's a bit disturbing.

“We'll see how the consultation pans out, but I don't know where the government will get the money from.

“It's going to have a huge impact on house prices and generally we feel that someone's just drawn a straight line across the map.”

Geoffrey Sheraton, 53, lives on Frith Hill, South Heath and said: “Some rude words come to mind and obviously everyone will be concerned about it. It's difficult to say if we need High Speed rail – it doesn't stop here so it's not going to be much use to me is it?”

Lia Macdonald, 44, lives off Chalk Lane, Hyde Heath, and the proposed route would tunnel underneath her property.

She said: “We are limited in what we are allowed to do here in terms of building work and that's what keeps it a beautiful place to live.

“How can they say that and then dig a big trench through an area of outstanding natural beauty?”

There was relief in Great Missenden that the proposed route was not closer to the village but two shoppers, who asked not to be named, still voiced their opposition to the plans.

A Church Street resident said: “It's going to completely carve up the Chilterns. It could change life around here forever and everybody is up in arms about it - there will be a huge protest.

Another villager said: “It's absolutely awful. It's a line we don't need and to destroy an area like the Chilterns is criminal. People just need to be more patient and sit on the train a bit longer – it's not going to shorten the journey that much.”

Stan Rogerson, 70, from Prestwood, said: “I have mixed feelings about it. The impact in this locality is going to be tremendous especially during the construction. It's not going to bring anything to the area and I would have liked them to find a different route.”

Further east, the route travels overground through fields above Amersham Old town before going into a tunnel underneath the built-up areas.

Paula Gilbert, 65, lives on the High Street and said: “We'll oppose it all the way – it would be a terrible waste of money because the country doesn't need it.”

Detailed maps (pdfs, right click to save):

For the first Chalfonts map click here.

For the second Chalfonts map click here.

For the Amersham map click here.

For the Great Missenden area map click here.

Click here for a map of the proposed route.