THE county's transport chief has backed a London council leader's claim that there is a better chance of defeating High Speed 2 than there was the Heathrow third runway.

Campaigners won a high court battle to stop the Heathrow expansion last year – before the Coalition Government quashed the plans for good when it got into power.

Leader of Hillingdon Council Ray Puddifoot, at the heart of the victorious Heathrow campaign, has drawn comparisons with High Speed 2.

The £33 billion rail plans, which would cut through Buckinghamshire's countryside heartland, also affect neighbouring Hillingdon.

Cllr Puddifoot said: “The case was not as good as what we have here. It is very similar to Heathrow, because the business case doesn't stack up and a environmental impact study hasn't been undertaken.

"I think we have a better chance than we did against the Heathrow.”

He labelled the current Government consultation “a pathetic attempt” said the scheme “will fail.”

Buckinghamshire County Council has lined up with the authority as part of a coalition of 13 councils.

Transport supremo Cllr Val Letheren said: “We are working very closely with Ray, he's got the experience at Hillingdon, we're learning a lot.

“He believes like us that we've got to keep fighting.”

A key plank in the Heathrow fight was that the business case did not stack up.

“That's very much what we're going on here too,” Cllr Letheren said.

She added: “I agree totally with him, it's a very poor consultation. The questions are like trick questions.”

She urged residents to take part in the Government consultation, attend the upcoming 'roadshows' where details are on display, and spread the word to friends living elsewhere in the UK.

“We won't win unless we spread the word to the rest of the country. What we don't want to be called is NIMBYs, which we have. It's insulting.

“We honestly think the country can't afford £33bn, it's not just us who will suffer, the whole country will suffer.”

Instead of spending £33bn on a new railway, each Parliamentary constituency could have £51m extra to spend on its roads, present railways and all the other services which would make the transport network function better, she said.