Asked by: Baroness Jones of Moulsecoomb (Green Party - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they were aware that trees would be felled in Sheephouse Wood when they agreed £40m funding for a tunnel to mitigate the impact on wildlife in Sheephouse Wood.
Answered by Lord Davies of Gower - Shadow Minister (Home Office)
Wildlife mitigations adjacent to Sheephouse Wood include physical measures to protect the local bat population, as well as a green overbridge, and landscaping for public access. Given that the HS2 route in this area is overground rather than in tunnel, a number of trees along the perimeter of Sheephouse Wood have had to be removed to fulfil safety requirements alongside an operational railway. These trees were removed with the necessary permissions from Natural England, and HS2 Ltd informed the Department for Transport in advance of the works taking place. The requirement to deliver these works was included in the overall funding allocations for the HS2 project.
Asked by: Baroness Jones of Moulsecoomb (Green Party - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Davies of Gower on 14 February (HL2133), what are the minimum and expected timescales for the following stages of Ely Area Capacity Enhancement and upgrading of Haughley Junction: (1) the final business case, (2) the Ministerial decision to proceed to implementation, (3) the issuance of a Transport Work Act Order, (4) the commencement of works, and (5) the completion of works.
Answered by Lord Davies of Gower - Shadow Minister (Home Office)
The recently announced Network North programme of investment included confirmation of government’s support for the Ely Area Capacity Enhancement (EACE) programme and the substantial benefits this will bring, including a doubling of passenger services on the Ely to Kings Lynn and Ipswich to Peterborough routes together with additional freight paths into the Port of Felixstowe.
Network Rail have developed the scheme to Outline Business Case stage; next steps will involve further investment case development and delivery planning.
Asked by: Baroness Jones of Moulsecoomb (Green Party - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask His Majesty's Government when they will announce their decision on the Strategic Outline Business Case 'Restoring Your Railway Stroudwater Station' submitted in September 2022; why that decision has not yet been made; and what is the intended purpose of the planned Ministerial visit to Stroudwater Station.
Answered by Lord Davies of Gower - Shadow Minister (Home Office)
The Department for Transport is in receipt of a Strategic Outline Business Case for the proposed reopening of Stonehouse (Bristol Road) railway station, also known as Stroudwater station. The Department is not yet in a position to provide details on next steps for the scheme, but hopes to be able to do so in due course. Ministers conduct visits for a wide range of reasons, including to help them appreciate local issues in person.
Asked by: Baroness Jones of Moulsecoomb (Green Party - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask His Majesty's Government when they will provide the full funds to upgrade the rail junctions at Haughley and Ely; and on what timetable they expect the works to be completed.
Answered by Lord Davies of Gower - Shadow Minister (Home Office)
The recently announced Network North programme of investment included confirmation of government’s support for the Ely Area Capacity Enhancement (EACE) programme and upgrading Haughley Junction, and the substantial benefits this will bring, including a doubling of passenger services on the Ely to Kings Lynn and Ipswich to Peterborough routes together with additional freight paths into the Port of Felixstowe.
Network Rail have developed the scheme to Outline Business Case stage; next steps will involve further investment case development and delivery planning.
Asked by: Baroness Jones of Moulsecoomb (Green Party - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have for land purchased for HS2 that is no longer necessary.
Answered by Baroness Vere of Norbiton
Any land and property that is no longer required will be sold, and a programme is being developed to do this.
Asked by: Baroness Jones of Moulsecoomb (Green Party - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of using surplus HS2 land for establishing wildlife corridors and enhancing biodiversity.
Answered by Baroness Vere of Norbiton
Any property acquired for HS2 that is no longer required will be sold, and a programme is being developed to do this. No assessment has yet been made of whether surplus HS2 land can or should be used for establishing wildlife corridors and enhancing biodiversity.
Asked by: Baroness Jones of Moulsecoomb (Green Party - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the announced cancellation of phase 2 of HS2, how much has been spent on the purchase of land for phase 2 of HS2 that is no longer necessary.
Answered by Baroness Vere of Norbiton
As of September 2023, £208m has been spent on land and property on Phase 2a and £356m on Phase 2b. Any property that is no longer required will be sold and a programme is being developed to do this.
Asked by: Baroness Jones of Moulsecoomb (Green Party - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask His Majesty's Government how much has been spent on the purchase of land for HS2 that is no longer necessary.
Answered by Baroness Vere of Norbiton
As of September 2023, £208m has been spent on land and property on Phase 2a and £356m on Phase 2b. Any property that is no longer required will be sold and a programme is being developed to do this.
Asked by: Baroness Jones of Moulsecoomb (Green Party - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask His Majesty's Government how they intend to ensure that the new discharge pipes connected to the HS2 project, leading to Yeading Brook behind Ruislip Gardens Station, have a discharge licence; whether they can describe what chemicals and volumes are permitted under this licence; who is doing the water quality monitoring; and where the monitoring data appears locally.
Answered by Baroness Vere of Norbiton
Any discharges of water from the HS2 project to the natural environment require discharge consents, approved by the regulator – the Environment Agency (‘EA’), as specified in Schedule 33 Part 5 of the High Speed Rail (London – West Midlands) Act 2017.
There is an agreed consent to discharge water from the South Ruislip Vent Shaft site to a drain that discharges to the Yeading Brook. The conditions for this state the maximum limits of the following parameters:
The consent states that the sulphate levels within the water are to be recorded and reported to the EA on a monthly basis. The total daily discharge volume and the rate of discharge are to be recorded and reported as and when requested by the EA.
Asked by: Baroness Jones of Moulsecoomb (Green Party - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the changes made to their second Cycling and Walking Investment Strategy on 10 March, whether it is still their aim that half of all journeys in towns and cities will be cycled or walked by 2030.
Answered by Baroness Vere of Norbiton
Yes. The changes simply corrected a data error in a funding table and in no way affect the Government’s aim.