Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of the effect on the operation of London Zoo of the proposal by High Speed 2 Ltd to use the Zoological Society of London's car park.

The High Speed Rail (London to West Midland) Act 2017, as approved by Parliament, includes the provision of a lorry holding area (LHA) on the southern part of London Zoo’s cark park.

The impacts of the proposed LHA on London Zoo were considered as part of the Parliamentary process. The House of Commons and House of Lords Select Committees both considered, but ultimately rejected the Zoological Society of London’s (ZSL) proposals for the LHA to be relocated.

However, HS2 Ltd remain committed to seeking to mitigate the impacts of the LHA on the operation of London Zoo. HS2 Ltd has offered to work with ZSL to optimise the remaining area of the car park to suit their requirements, as far as is reasonably practicable. In addition, an assurance has been provided to ZSL that HS2 Ltd will seek to reduce or obviate the impacts of the LHA, as far as is reasonably practicable, during the detailed design stage.