HS2 go-ahead: reaction

Reaction has been coming in on today’s approval from transport secretary Justine Greening for the controversial London to Birmingham high-speed rail link.

You can let us know what you think of the proposals in our HS2 poll here.

The Royal Town Planning Institute (RTPI): “The Government’s decision to give the go ahead for High Speed 2 raises the important question about how this kind of investment can be linked in planning for housing and jobs and to rebalancing our economy. To make the most of transport investment, and to minimise the disruption and negative impact, transport decisions need to take account of the big picture and be allied with complimentary and remedial measures.

“The RTPI believes that spatial planning at a national level can provide the much needed overview of social, environmental and economic considerations which would enable Government to better judge the need and effect of transport schemes. Crucially, spatial planning also has the ability to unlock growth by providing businesses and local communities with the information they need to make well informed decisions.

“The proper planning of high speed rail links could be the catalyst for the kind of spatial dimension which the draft National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) lacks, and which the RTPI and the recent Select Committee report on the NPPF asks for.

“The RTPI welcomed the Government’s decision to consider the long term infrastructure needs of the country in the National Infrastructure Plan, and welcomes in principle serious attempts to deal with the long term transport needs of the country in a manner which takes account of climate change. The Institute does not comment on individual planning cases, and therefore has no comment on the choice of route for High Speed 2″.

Campaign to Protect Rural England (CPRE) chief executive Shaun Spiers said: “We are pleased the Government has shown its commitment to Britain’s railways while being sensitive to the impact that HS2 will have on communities and the countryside.

“It appears that Ministers really have engaged with the consultation responses.  So we welcome the changes that have been announced, notably the further tunnelling in the Chilterns and alterations to the route to avoid important heritage sites. Justine Greening is right that in delivering this important scheme we must safeguard the natural environment and our beautiful countryside.

“Today’s announcement is just one step in a very long process. There is still much more work to be done.  The route proposed today requires detailed study and it is likely that further changes will need to be made.  In particular, CPRE would like to see flexibility on the maximum design speed to allow more sensitive routing with greater curvature of the track. This will allow for necessary alterations following further local consultation.

“But the Government deserves congratulation for showing commitment to the future of our railways and to addressing regional economic imbalances, rather than concentrating development in the south east.  We are particularly pleased that this appears to have been a genuine consultation and that legitimate concerns about the likely impact of HS2 on the landscape have been heard.

“CPRE has branches and member parish councils across the country and we will continue to engage closely with the Government and HS2 Ltd to ensure that the new railway is as environmentally sensitive and beneficial to local communities as possible.”

Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) UK Head of Policy Jeremy Blackburn: “RICS supports the development of high speed rail and welcomes the government’s commitment to deliver the HS2 scheme in England. It has huge potential to contribute to economic growth, as well as lowering carbon emissions and expanding the capacity and speed of the UK’s transport network. However, the UK still seriously lags behind other countries which already have well developed high speed rail networks in place.

“The impact of HS2 on communities along the route is a critical issue and every practical step must be taken to minimise disruption and negative impacts. Adequate compensation procedures must be in place for those affected by the line and RICS is willing to work with the Government to advice on dispute resolution and compulsory purchase issues.

“High speed rail should be used to support economic growth and recovery by linking major economic centres for trade and investment, and effectively integrated with existing transport networks including airports to offer an alternative to short haul flights.

“Capacity freed up on the existing rail network must be used to full advantage for both passenger and freight services to ensure the wider benefits of investment are fully realised. We hope DfT’s consultation on major networks will be able to give an insight into the government plans to do this.

“Major public infrastructure schemes, such as HS2, require state-of-the-art project, carbon and cost management techniques to ensure optimum value for money and accountability. Through the use of new procurement models, information modelling and data benchmarking, RICS believes that prior investment in the relevant techniques and skills will ensure project success.”

National Trust director-general Dame Fiona Reynolds said: “We are pleased that Government has responded to local concerns over HS2 by promising a longer tunnel to protect the Chilterns Area of Outstanding National Beauty.

“However, we are disappointed that a tunnel at Hartwell House has not been included in the changes, given its international significance.

“This would be hugely beneficial both for the residents of Aylesbury and Hartwell, and would also protect the Grade I listed Hartwell House and its Grade II* Park and Garden. We hope to see this omission corrected as a result of the full environmental impact assessment which has not yet been completed. We will also be assessing the impact on Hartwell of lowering the line past Aylesbury and Stoke Mandeville.”

The Country Land & Business Association (CLA) said the government’s decision must include reform of compulsory purchase laws to “give fair compensation to owners of homes, land and businesses along the route”. CLA president Harry Cotterell said: “We are launching this campaign because current compulsory purchase orders (CPOs) do not provide adequate protection for property owners when the State has to acquire private land or property without consent for a project such as HS2.

“Much of the work on reform has been done by previous governments but has not been implemented. Instead, they have offered a mere 10 percent extra in compensation to those affected by major infrastructure projects, and failing to fix the unfairness of CPO procedures or take steps to address blight to land and properties.”

Cotterell said the Association was urging the transport secretary to order an immediate and comprehensive review of compulsory purchase law for all private acquisitions and to commit to including legally binding provisions in the Act required for developing the HS2 line.

He said CLA lobbying on this issue had already helped persuade Government to promise more mitigation measures in HS2 including a £500million tunnel for part of the line.

The CLA President added: “A fair compensation package must include a duty of care, compensation for early access and a Bond Scheme to address blight. It is also good for the developer in the long run because fair compensation tends to reduce public opposition to projects.

“An independent assessor is needed for people affected by HS2 to ensure the acquisition and construction is conducted fairly.”

Warwickshire County Council Deputy Leader Cllr Bob Stevens said: “We are disappointed that the Transport Secretary has decided to go ahead with the HS2 scheme. It will have a devastating impact on the countryside and it will have little benefit for us. The county council remains committed to protecting Warwickshire’s heritage, environment and communities.

“We based our strong opposition to the scheme on the fact that it presents a flawed business case and offers poor value for money to the taxpayer. It is an expensive project which we believe will have only a very limited impact on the regional economy and certainly nowhere near as substantial as estimated in some quarters. There will also be unquantifiable hidden costs to the local authority.

“Now that HS2 is to proceed, we must ensure that the interests of Warwickshire residents are best served. In the immediate future, we will continue to work with the 51M Group to put forward the county’s case against this scheme.”

Confederation of British Industry (CBI) Director-General John Cridland said: “The Government’s green light for high speed rail is welcome.

“Without new capacity, by the 2020s the main West coast line would be gummed up, and rail freight would be likely to be squeezed out. We are right to plan for the infrastructure which the next generation will need, and the biggest prize will come from phase two – the link with the North. This will help to spread the benefits of future economic growth across the country.”

Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE) HS2 Expert Panel chair Steve Hayter, said: “We agree that the opportunity should be taken to invest in a new railway that is fit for the 21st century – significantly increasing capacity, strengthening connectivity between our city-regions and boosting the UK economy in the long term. The time to invest is now and we endorse the Government’s strategy.

“Going forwards, a robust and effective high speed railway that achieves the environmental and economic aims must have the very strongest commitment and support, both politically and financially. Government should also now develop an integrated transport policy that serves the nation’s future transport needs – HS2 in itself can only form part of that plan and ideally should not be developed in isolation.”

Commenting on the decision to tunnel, Hayter added: “Government’s willingness to exploring different engineering options to minimise the impact on those communities affected must be welcomed. Tunnelling on this scale is a proven, effective engineering solution with many advantages. Engineers will now stand ready to do what they do best – overcoming any challenges and ensuring the project succeeds.”