Asked by: Sarah Green (Liberal Democrat - Chesham and Amersham)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to conclusion 23 of the Oakervee Review, what recent steps have been taken to reduce the specifications of HS2 Phase One.
Answered by Andrew Stephenson
The Oakervee Review concluded that the scope of Phase One should be continually reviewed, within the limits of the Phase One Act powers. The Department continues to review its requirements for the railway and considers changes where there is a value-for-money case, within the scope of these powers.
For example, at Euston Station, following a review, the Department has recently confirmed the decision to move to a less complex, more efficient design of the station that continues to support the full HS2 service planned.
Asked by: Sarah Green (Liberal Democrat - Chesham and Amersham)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many new jobs the construction of HS2 Phase 1 has created in Buckinghamshire.
Answered by Andrew Stephenson
Figures provided by HS2 Ltd covering July to September 2021 show that 7,237 full-time equivalent jobs are supported by contractors working on the route from the Colne Valley to Southam.
Asked by: Sarah Green (Liberal Democrat - Chesham and Amersham)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps he has taken to help prevent (a) decline and (b) extinction of the Barbastelle Bat at (i) Leather Lane, (ii) Bowood Lane and (iii) Jones Hill Wood.
Answered by Andrew Stephenson
The Secretary of State and HS2 Ltd take the preservation and enhancement of all bat species and populations associated with the project very seriously.
HS2 Ltd’s strategy for the preservation and enhancement of bats in this area adopts a precautionary approach as to the presence of a Barbastelle population at these locations. That strategy, overseen by experienced ecologists, is to enhance linkages between woodlands and other habitats to provide connectivity and additional foraging areas for bats.
Works will include new species-rich woodland planting, hedgerow creation, the strengthening of existing hedgerows, and the translocation and reuse of ancient woodland soils. Planting will also be placed alongside the top of the cutting associated with this area to direct bat flight lines towards crossing points at Wendover Dean Viaduct. Prior to works, mitigation measures include the erection of bat boxes ahead of tree felling to ensure there is continuous availability of roosting features.
The provision of habitat and the creation of links at this scale will significantly increase the amount of foraging and commuting habitat available to local bat communities in this area.
The landscape and ecological design for this stretch of route is still being developed. When finalised, the proposals will be submitted to Buckinghamshire Council to support the local planning application for this area under Schedule 17 of the Phase One Act.
Asked by: Sarah Green (Liberal Democrat - Chesham and Amersham)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps he has taken to ensure that HS2 Limited is adhering to its Environmental Statement.
Answered by Andrew Stephenson
The Secretary of State for Transport has established a framework to control the environmental impacts of the HS2 project which includes the relevant Act(s), associated Environmental Statement(s) and a suite of documents that together form the project’s Environmental Minimum Requirements (EMRs).
HS2 Ltd is required to comply with the Acts and the EMRs, with the aim of ensuring that the environmental effects reported in the relevant Environmental Statement are not exceeded. The EMRs include documents such as the Code of Construction Practice, which sets out processes and practices to control the works on-site.
Further approvals and controls of designs are given through the planning regime established by the Act. HS2 Ltd and its contractors are also required to comply with commitments given to Parliament, and with Undertakings and Assurances given directly to other affected parties.
The Department for Transport monitors HS2 Ltd’s performance and compliance against all of its objectives, including environmental obligations, via its Development Agreement with the company, and has established supporting governance arrangements and management information streams to ensure that compliance is monitored and maintained.
HS2 Ltd is working towards the publication of its first Environmental Sustainability Performance Report which is planned to be published later this autumn. This will provide a clear and up-to-date account of HS2’s environmental impacts and the important work that is being deployed to mitigate any adverse effects from the scheme.
Asked by: Sarah Green (Liberal Democrat - Chesham and Amersham)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many and what proportion of Schedule 17 applications submitted by High Speed 2 Limited have been (a) refused or (b) modified by the relevant planning authority.
Answered by Andrew Stephenson
To date 407 Schedule 17 applications have been made by HS2 Ltd, of which nine (2.2%) have been refused by the relevant local planning authority. This does not include applications where the local authority has failed to determine an application within the specified timescale, or extended determination timescales agreed with HS2 Ltd, resulting in HS2 Ltd submitting an appeal to the Secretaries of State in order to maintain the programme.
Applications can be modified in a variety of ways. Local planning authorities may place conditions on an approval. Alternatively, pre-application discussions in advance of formal Schedule 17 applications being submitted, often result in a design being modified or adapted through direct requests from local authority officers, or due to questions or concerns being raised.
Asked by: Sarah Green (Liberal Democrat - Chesham and Amersham)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what estimate he has made of the level of support provided by the Government to local authorities for road surfacing in each of the last five years.
Answered by Baroness Maclean of Redditch
During the last five years the Department for Transport has provided over £5.9 billion by formula to local authorities in England, outside London, to support the maintenance of the local road network.
This funding is not ring-fenced, allowing local highway authorities to spend their allocations according to their own priorities.