Asked by: Keir Starmer (Labour - Holborn and St Pancras)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, for what reasons HS2 Ltd plans to commence utility diversion and other advance works on construction compounds in July 2016 in advance of the likely date of Royal Assent for the High Speed Rail (London - West Midlands) Bill.
Answered by Robert Goodwill
The High Speed Rail (Preparation) Act 2013 received Royal Assent inNovember 2013 and authorises the Secretary of State, with Treasury approval, to incur expenditure in preparation for a high speed railway transport network. Construction work will commence in 2017, with some enabling works planned for 2016, subject to necessary consents.
Asked by: Keir Starmer (Labour - Holborn and St Pancras)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what account he took of (a) the extended timetable of work on High Speed 2 and the increased intensity of such work compared to the original plan, (b) potential additional blight caused by rebuilding Euston station in phase B2, (c) potential additional blight caused by the construction of Crossrail 2 and (d) development work at Euston station now integral to High Speed 2 in deciding appropriate compensation to people in (i) the London Borough of Camden and (ii) other parts of London affected by High Speed 2 and Additional Provision 3.
Answered by Robert Goodwill
HS2 Ltd deposited an Additional Provision (AP3) to the HS2 Phase One hybrid Bill on 16 September 2015 which includes revised plans for London Euston station. The new plans focus on an incremental strategy which will deliver new high speed platforms (Stages A and B1) and do not preclude wider redevelopment of the existing station in the future (Stage B2).
By concentrating construction on certain locations at a time, disruption to the area as a whole at any one time will be reduced and easier to mitigate. Construction of the original hybrid Bill proposal would have meant a far more intense period of disruption for the community.
In the Euston area, as with all affected areas, we will continue to look for ways to further reduce the level of disruption as part of the design development process.
The government’s proposals for statutory and discretionary compensation for the whole of the Phase One route were announced in the “HS2 property compensation consultation 2013 for the London to West Midlands route: decision document”, published 9 April 2014 and also the “Decision Document: Property Consultation 2014 for the London–West Midlands HS2 Route”, published 16 January 2015.
Asked by: Keir Starmer (Labour - Holborn and St Pancras)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether he has made an assessment of the potential effect of Crossrail development on existing retailers and traders in Tin Pan Alley, Denmark Street.
Answered by Claire Perry
Crossrail’s development is not impacting on existing retailers and traders in Tin Pan Alley. The site the Hon Member refers to is owned by another developer, Consolidated Developments. The buildings on Denmark Street are not required by Crossrail or London Underground for the upgrade of Tottenham Court Road station. Consolidated Developments acquired the site in 1996 and planning permission was granted by the London Borough of Camden in November 2013. Whilst the development site is situated adjacent to the London Underground / Crossrail worksite, the proposed development itself is a private venture and entirely separate from the Crossrail works.
Crossrail, in conjunction with TfL and Camden and Westminster Councils, is working to improve the urban realm around the eastern end of Oxford Circus. This includes a new piazza at St Giles Square that will re-establish the historic links between Oxford Street and Covent Garden as well as making it easier and safer for pedestrians to move into Dean Street and Soho Square. Crossrail is also bringing the first new West End theatre in over a decade to Soho and recently announced they have gained private sponsorship for the project’s art programme at Tottenham Court Road.
Asked by: Keir Starmer (Labour - Holborn and St Pancras)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what estimate he has made of the overall reduction of cost to High Speed 2 of terminating the proposed line at Old Oak Common including any necessary redesign of the station at Old Oak Common to make such a termination possible; and what effect such a reduction would have on the cost-benefit analysis for High Speed 2.
Answered by Robert Goodwill
A number of options for the London terminal station for HS2 were considered as part of a strategic assessment in 2009. This included terminating HS2 at Old Oak Common. Only options that were included in the final sift were subject to detailed evaluation including a cost assessment.
Early transport analysis found that the bulk of the demand for HS2 would come from the central, north and south of London which would be best served by a central London station. Given that, Old Oak Common would not deliver the same level of benefits as a central London station and it was not included as part of the final sift and was therefore not subject to a cost analysis.
Asked by: Keir Starmer (Labour - Holborn and St Pancras)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what the cost of constructing High Speed 2 (a) Phase 1 and (b) Phase 2 is in 2015 prices.
Answered by Robert Goodwill
The Department does not currently hold information on the cost of the scheme in 2015 prices. Costs are consistently expressed in 2011 prices to aid transparency & comparability.
Asked by: Keir Starmer (Labour - Holborn and St Pancras)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, when he plans to publish the Government's response to the House of Lords Economic Affairs Committee's First Report of Session 2014-15, The Economics of High Speed 2, HL Paper 134.
Answered by Robert Goodwill
The Government will respond to the House of Lords Economic Affairs Committee's report “The Economics of High Speed 2” shortly. We are confident the case for HS2 is robust and look forward to clarifying the issues the Committee has raised.