Agenda item

Report of the Cabinet Member for Highways and Transport

Members were informed that the role of the County Council was to be the “voice” of Staffordshire and to secure, through petitioning and its place at the Planning Forum, the best possible mitigation for the County.  The County Council also had a formal role in the delivery of the scheme: in influencing the development of key HS2 documents; through attendance at the local authorities’ planning forum; influencing HS2 communication processes and challenging on matters raised by the community; and processing consents and approvals under schedule 17 and schedule 4 of the Act (lorry routes and highways interferences respectively).  The Phase One hybrid bill had completed the Parliamentary process in both houses and received Royal Assent in February 2017, making it an Act.  This granted deemed planning permission for the construction, operation and maintenance of HS2 Phase One.  On 17 July 2017, the Phase 2a hybrid bill was deposited in Parliament.  The bill seeks powers to build the route from the West Midlands through Staffordshire to Crewe.  This was at committee stage in the House of Commons, during which petitioners present their cases to Select Committee.   

Through petitioning Phase One, the County Council had secured a lowering of 8km of the route in Lichfield and construction of the Handsacre link, connecting HS2 to the West Coast Mainline.  Through petitioning Phase 2a, the County Council had secured a suite of highways improvements totalling approximately £10m, a range of mitigations for the Stone railhead, and a range of environmental improvements including protection for veteran trees and hedgerows.

In relation to communication with members, email updates were provided by the HS2 Project Manager, primarily to members affected by the line of the route, giving general scheme updates, and notifications of consultations and works.  One-to-one meetings were held with the appropriate Cabinet Members and other one-to-ones would be made available on request.  There were also regular updates to interested panels, for example Countryside and Rights of Way and the Staffordshire Air Quality Forum.  Members were assured that a key point made repeatedly to HS2 Ltd. and contractors was that elected members should be made aware of information before anyone else, and especially before Parish Councils, so that they were prepared for questions as they arose.  With regard to complaints, the County Council was not resourced or funded to deal with HS2 complaints, and members were advised that all complaints or queries from members of the public should be directed to: HS2enquiries@hs2.org.co.uk or Freephone: 08081 434 434.  

Members were informed that the County Council had been in discussion with HS2 Ltd. and other highway authorities along the line of the route to discuss matters of common interest.  Getting the construction traffic routing correct was vital to ensure road safety matters were appropriately managed and the environmental impact was controlled.  There would clearly be a significant impact on the public as the project moved to the main construction phase.  The County Council had some limited powers over the approval of some types of HS2 construction route.  Schedule 17 of the Act states that for a construction route where there were greater than 24 large goods vehicle movements in a day, consent must be obtained from the Highways Authority.  However, if there were fewer than 24 heavy vehicle movements per day the Council had no control at all, nor did it have any control over routes used by non-heavy vehicles, even where numbers were significant.  Where the County Council did have limited control on construction routing it was noted that if they refused a route, HS2 could appeal to the Secretary of State who could overrule them.  Officers had been trying to avoid this situation through extensive engagement and through the additional highways improvements agreed in assurances.  The Council had been advised that main civil engineering works were likely to commence in Spring 2019, but had just been informed that this had been put back to June 2019.

Members welcomed the reassurance that members would be informed of developments first, and asked for advice on how to make representations over any concerns they may have.  It was a cause for frustration that members of the public looked to elected members to solve problems, when the reality was that in cases such as this Councillors did not have the authority to take action.  It was stressed that information, and the flow of information, was very important.

RESOLVED – That:

a)    The work undertaken to date on efforts to influence HS2 construction routes be noted;

b)    The limited powers (as outlined in the phase 1 and phase 2a Hybrid Bill) available to the highway authority in respect of approving HS2 construction routes be noted; and

c)    Members assist in raising awareness of the HS2 Helpline and email for all queries and complaints regarding construction.