Agenda item

Presentation by the HS2 Stakeholder Engagement Team

Benita Wishart, Senior Engagement Advisor, Sol Pearch, Engagement Advisor, and Neil Coleman, Transport Assessment Manager, from High Speed Two, presented information on parts of the proposed high speed rail link which will cover Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire:

(a)  in July 2017, the preferred route for phase 2b was announced, with consultations taking place in 2013 and 2016;

(b)  during the next phase, affected parties will have the right to petition. Then the proposals will be subject to parliamentary approval and Royal Assent, and construction can start in 2023, ready for operation in 2033;

(c)  the work taking place from now until 2019 is 4 fold, and covers design and construction planning, environmental impact assessments, engagement and consultation, and surveys;

(d)  HS2 has been planned in 3 parts. Phase 1 is from London to Birmingham and already has parliamentary approval. Phase 2a is from Birmingham to Crewe, and is going to Select Committee imminently. The final phase is from Crew to Manchester and Birmingham to Leeds with a route through Sheffield;

(e)  the impact on highways is being assessed, including the impact on pedestrians, cyclists, horse riders etc. The survey was started on the August bank holiday to gather as many views from path users as possible. Suggestions for any other key routes to be surveyed are welcome, and further surveys will be conducted in the spring;

(f)  it is hoped that Royal Assent will be given in 2022, when it will become the Phase 2b Act. That will essentially give power to alter the rights of way network, including stopping up, diversions and creating new routes. A guidance note will be available setting out the impact on rights of way;

(g)  the East Midlands hub will be located in Toton. Planners are looking very closely at vehicle access, public transport and access on foot and cycle to the station. East Midlands’ councils are anticipating a lot of growth near the station;

(h)  there will be areas of this increased growth that HS2 is responsible for, and other areas that local councils will be responsible for. There are ongoing meetings, particularly with councils near to the Toton station, covering subjects such as car access into the station and a new junction to cater for the increased volume of traffic. HS2 is working closely with councils to see who provides what.

There were a number of questions and comments from the Forum, and further information was provided:

(i)  there had previously been a commitment to an HS2 cycleway, and a great deal of information was collected towards this aim. The commitment was dropped, but the information could well prove useful for plugging gaps in the existing cycle network. This was also raised at the Nottinghamshire Local Access Forum. The representatives from HS2 will look into who has that information;

(j)  any proposed divergences of existing paths will be discussed with forums to see if they can be improved;

(k)  each bridge over the proposed route will be assessed to accommodate the height of the train plus any cables. It may be appropriate to raise the gradient of bridges, or to drop the land below bridges, or to provide an underpass instead. Many paths will have to be realigned to make the route work, but many others will be adequate as they are;

(l)  the Bennerley Viaduct will not be affected, as it is not on the proposed route;

(m)  HS2 are mindful of the impact the route may have on Strelley Village, given its historical nature. The current proposal is for a cut-and-cover tunnel from the north of Strelley Hall through to the business park. Planning is taking place to see how disruption can be minimised, how disruption is communicated to local residents, if diversions can be made as short as possible, and how disruption is managed in areas where no easy diversion exists;

(n)  lessons have been learned from the A46 construction, which had no path diversions in place, which resulted in many users coming across a blocked path and having to go back the way they came;

(o)  the proposed route crosses the Grantham canal in 2 places within a short stretch. The canal and towpath are recognised in the same way as any other public routes, and HS2 would try to provide suitable diversions where possible. The survey so far has included canal paths. The quality of the bridge design will be vitally important, as it is a beautiful spot;

(p)  the ecology and environmental surveys are ongoing, and a lot of work will be required to make sure the overall impact is not negative. They key outcomes of the surveys will be available as part of the environmental statement;

(q)  efforts are made to make the route as aesthetically pleasing as possible, whether this means trying to integrate it into the landscape in some areas, or making a feature of it in other areas. For example, there is the opportunity to do something striking in Long Eaton. There is a Design panel, who ensure that minimum standards are exceeded, not just met, and a positive contribution is made using design impact. There are ongoing debates between the designers, the engineers, and the budget;

(r)  the renegotiation of farming subsidies as a result of the decision for the UK to leave the EU may have an impact on the proposed route. Whilst there are no concrete plans in place for this eventuality at the moment, HS2 are keeping an eye on any developments;

(s)  HS2 have enjoyed the walks and visits they have made so far, and would be happy to join any other opportunities of this nature from the Local Access Forum.

RESOLVED to thank Benita Wishart, Sol Pearch and Neil Coleman for their update, and note the contents.