We have received the following update from the Buckinghamshire County Council HS2 team:
(Note: previous Updates can be found on the Campaigns part of this web site at https://www.amershamsociety.org/topics/hs2/).
House of Lords Select Committee
The latest programme of appearances from 15 November to 23 November is at http://www.parliament.uk/business/committees/committees-a-z/lords-select/high-speed-rail-london-west-midlands-bill-select-committee-lords/news-parliament-2015/committee-programme-15-23-nov/.
Review of petitioning procedures on Hybrid Bills in the House of Lords: views sought
In May and June this year, the first stage of the consultation on the review of the petitioning procedures on Hybrid Bills took place. Parliament is now inviting further submissions, as the process of petitioning before the Lords Select Committee on the HS2 Phase One Bill draws to a close. You can see details of how to submit your comments your comments here.
Appointment of Enabling Works Contracts
The £900m Enabling Works Contracts covering the whole of Phase One, from London to Birmingham and the connection to the West Coast Mainline at Handsacre have been awarded, with work due to begin in the spring 2017.
The following joint ventures will be appointed:
– Area South – CS JV (Costain Group Plc, Skanska Construction UK Limited)
– Area Central (Buckinghamshire) – Fusion JV (Morgan Sindall plc, BAM Nuttall Limited, Ferrovial Agroman (UK) Limited)
– Area North – LM JV (Laing O’Rourke Construction Limited, J. Murphy & Sons Limited)
- As well as archaeology, site clearance and establishing site compounds, the contractors will also deliver a range of activities including utility diversions, ecology surveys, demolition, ground remediation, watercourse activities, highways realignments, monitoring and instrumentation, structural reinforcements and drainage work.
- Colne Valley Regional Park Panel – developing an Additional Mitigation Plan to reduce HS2 impacts in the Colne Valley Regional Park
- As a result of petitions submitted to the House of Commons by local stakeholders, HS2 Ltd has been required by the government to set up a Panel representing local interests from across the Colne Valley Park. The Colne Valley Regional Park Panel will produce an ‘Additional Mitigation Plan’ and has been allocated £3 million to implement this plan, in addition to the mitigation that HS2 Ltd has already committed to as part of the Hybrid Bill.
- The Additional Mitigation Plan will address the impacts of the proposed HS2 railway on the Colne Valley Park including the effects of the Colne Valley Viaduct and will ensure that the Park continues to be viable and attractive as the first large countryside destination to the west of London.
- The Panel is made up of the Colne Valley Park Community Interest Company (CIC), Department for Transport, London Borough of Hillingdon, South Bucks District Council, Chiltern District Council, Three Rivers District Council, Hertfordshire County Council, Buckinghamshire County Council, Natural England, the Environment Agency; three Wildlife Trusts and HS2 Ltd. In addition to the Panel, funding has been provided to allow for an Independent Chair, a Programme Manager and a landscape specialist consultancy who will be producing the Additional Mitigation Plan.
- Jim Barclay, who has extensive experience in the public transport sector and stakeholder engagement, is the Panel’s Chair and will ensure that there is a good working relationship amongst the Panel members and effective communication throughout the process. Daniela Eigner has worked as environmental consultant on a number of infrastructure projects and as the Panel’s Programme Manager, works closely with the Panel members, LDA Design who are preparing the Additional Mitigation Plan and will also engage directly with local people and organisations affected by the proposed High Speed 2 railway.
- Public exhibition events will be held in early 2017 to showcase the longlist proposals which are being considered for the Additional Mitigation Plan. The public will be invited to provide feedback on these proposals. Dates for the public exhibitions are still to be confirmed and further information will be made available soon.
- For any questions, comments or suggestions, please contact the Panel: CVRPPanel@aol.co.uk. The meeting minutes of the Colne Valley Regional Park Panel are publicly available at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/hs2-colne-valley-regional-park-panelmeeting- minutes.
- HS2 Alerts
- If you would like to be kept up to date will all the latest information on HS2 matters please contact Andrea Polden andreapolden@icloud.com who will add you to her mailing list. Andrea is a volunteer who shares daily information on HS2 matters.
- Buckinghamshire County Council HS2 team:
- Jackie Copcutt jcopcutt@buckscc.gov.ukTel: 01296 383793
- Laura Martin-Leech lmartin@buckscc.gov.ukTel: 01296 382163
- HS2 Blueprint Mailbox HS2Blueprint@buckscc.gov.uk
- BCC HS2 Webpages:http://www.buckscc.gov.uk/environment/hs2/