Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of HS2 seeking access to undertake works on properties in Park Village East before (1) approval, and (2) independent auditing, of access tunnels at Euston Station; and whether HS2 has plans to fund an independent survey of (1) the property owners, and (2) the leaseholders, of Park Village East before work starts.

HS2 Ltd has issued notices under Schedule 2 of the High Speed Rail Act 2017 for planned works beneath the properties on Park Village East. The planned works, which relate to the installation of ground anchors beneath the properties concerned, do not include any works on or to the properties on Park Village East.

At this time HS2 Ltd are not seeking access to undertake works on the access tunnels to Euston, which are currently still in the design phase. Construction of the first tunnels is not planned until summer 2022 and will not proceed until the detailed design is completed and has been audited by an independent design organisation. The purpose of the currently planned works (i.e. the installation of ground anchors) is to ensure stability of the existing Network Rail retaining wall during the subsequent tunnel construction. The design of these works is nearing completion, which will be subject to independent auditing, including acceptance by Network Rail, prior to implementation.

In parallel, HS2 Ltd’s appointed contractor has requested access to undertake surveys for assessment of the structure and condition of the properties on Park Village East to further inform the ongoing design process. Enquiries have also been made with property owners, for any reports, sub-structure information or details relevant to the works to inform the assessment of the likely impact of installing ground anchors beneath the Park Village East facing properties.

and whether HS2 has plans to fund an independent survey of (1) the property owners, and (2) the leaseholders, of Park Village East before work starts.

HS2 Ltd is funding independent surveys of all potentially affected properties (within the criteria defined under the Act) and this is currently underway in a number of areas, including Park Village East, subject to access being granted by the leaseholders or owners.

HS2 Ltd’s appointed contractor is seeking to undertake these surveys as soon as possible, but it is not essential that they are completed prior to the installation of ground anchors. For properties that are eligible for a Settlement Deed and where the owner/leaseholder has requested one within the published timescales, this survey will be undertaken (and the Deed will be in place) before the commencement of works identified as potentially causing settlement, such as the tunnelling works in the case of Park Village East. For clarity, the installation of ground anchors does not trigger the eligibility for Settlement Deeds and HS2’s obligations with respect to the properties are not altered by the Deed.