HS2: Supreme Court to hear challenges The Government will be forced to defend its flagship infrastructure project, HS2, at the Supreme Court this week, as campaigners revive efforts to thwart the £50bn scheme. Several protest groups have been waging a long-running legal battle against the Government's plans to send trains at up to 225mph on a new line linking London with Manchester and Leeds, via Birmingham. Seven judges sitting at the Supreme Court will hear appeals from three campaign groups, including the HS2 Action Alliance, which has been arguing that the Government should have carried out a full strategic environmental assessment (SEA) on the controversial project. The Court of Appeal in July rebuffed their initial efforts to derail the new line. Last week, an alliance of 10 local authorities published an open letter claiming HS2 would be "catastrophic" for communities along the proposed route, who would receive "all of the blight and none of the benefit." The "51M" alliance of councils wants the Government to look at alternatives to HS2. The third campaign group, Heathrow Hub, wants the Government to ensure that the route runs via Britain's main airport. Last week, the Government received a major blow when a second Parliamentary committee raised major concerns about the project. The Treasury Select Committee said there were "serious shortcomings" in the economic case, echoing the Public Accounts Committee.