Trent-Sow Parklands and Cannock Chase AONB: Design Principles for HS2
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Trent-Sow Parklands and Cannock Chase AONB: Design Principles for HS2 Final February 2020 Prepared by LUC for the Trent-Sow Parklands and Cannock Chase AONB HS2 Group Document control Version Date Status Prepared Approved 0.5 22 July 2019 Draft - structure, contents and JB/ GW RH first component of Detailed Design Principles 0.6 20 August 2019 Draft - sections 1-4 and first RH/ GW KA/ RH component of Detailed Design Principles 1.0 09 September 2019 First Draft sections 1-5 complete RH/ GW RH 2.0 04 December 2019 Second draft GW KA/ RH 3.0 06 January 2020 Final draft GW/ RH KA/ RH 4.0 22 January 2020 Final GW/ RH RH 4.1 05 February 2020 Final, updated GW GW 4.2 26 February 2020 Final, minor text changes GW GW Project: A design guide for HS2 - Part 1, Design Principles Client: Trent-Sow Parklands and Cannock Chase AONB HS2 Group Reference: 10726 Link: S:\10700\10726 Trent Sow Parklands\Graphics\Report Contents Great Haywood Junction, Trent & Mersey Canal View across Rawbones Meadow SSSI View across the Tixall Broad with Tixall Gatehouse in the View along Trent & Mersey Canal from towpath background 1 Introduction 3 Vision 5 Detailed Design Principles 6 Glossary 1.1 Background 4 Project vision 18 5.1 Purpose 25 Glossary of terms 49 1.2 Aims and purpose 4 5.2 Spatial Index 25 1.3 Document structure 7 5.3 Elements 27 4 General Design Principles A Making good after construction 27 B Bridges 29 C Great Haywood viaduct 31 2 Context 4.1 Introduction 19 D Green bridges 38 4.2 Quality 19 E Noise barriers and fencing 41 2.1 Project Scope 8 4.3 Application 19 F Auto-transformer stations 42 2.2 HS2 Phase 2a Scheme 8 4.4 Schedule 17 Applications 19 G Ponds 44 2.3 Communities 8 4.5 Pre-Application meetings 19 H Ecological corridors 46 2.4 Access, Enjoyment and Connectivity 10 4.6 Enhancements Projects 19 J Vegetation including lineside slopes 47 2.5 Landscape 11 4.7 Synergy 19 2.6 Historic Environment 14 4.8 The Five General Design Principles 19 2.7 Ecology and Hydrology 17 1 Communities 20 2 Access, Enjoyment and Connectivity 21 3 Landscape 22 4 Historic Environment 23 5 Ecology and Hydrology 24 1 Introduction Review Group undertaker’s emerging designs for the railway, providing 1.1 Background advice and response to the nominated undertaker on 1.2.5 The Trent-Sow Parklands and Cannock Chase 1.1.1 High Speed 2 (HS2) Phase 2a (West Midlands the design of the key railway infrastructure in this area, AONB HS2 Group, ‘the Review Group’, was established namely: to Crewe), passes through and close to a notable in 2018 during the passage of the HS2 Phase 2a Bill collection of nationally and locally important landscapes through Parliament. The Review Group was formed the Great Haywood Viaduct in Staffordshire. These include the washlands at the to assist the nominated undertaker in achieving a the Ingestre Green Overbridge confluence of the rivers Trent and Sow; the historic high standard of design for key design elements and landscape earthworks designed landscapes of Shugborough, Ingestre and mitigation measures, in response to the reported the design of balancing ponds/ attenuation features Tixall; 18th and 19th century transport infrastructure; impacts of the HS2 Phase 2a Scheme, ‘the Scheme’, planting design the Conservation Areas of The Trent & Mersey Canal, on an area of high historic interest, landscape value and 1.2.10 The Review Group also has the responsibility Staffordshire & Worcestershire Canal, Ingestre, Tixall, environmental sensitivity. Great Haywood and Shugborough, and Colwich and to develop and propose a package of environmental Little Haywood; together with numerous listed buildings 1.2.6 The Review Group comprises the following enhancements, which go beyond the mitigation and environmental designations. Part of this landscape members: measures provided as part of the Scheme. These will be outside Act limits but within the Project Area. A budget is within or in the setting of the Cannock Chase Area of Canal and River Trust (CRT) of up to £1.5m has been made available for the Review Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB). Cannock Chase AONB Partnership Group to spend on enhancement projects. Historic England (HE) HS2 1.2.11 In undertaking this task Land Use Consultants 1.2 Aims and Purpose Inland Waterways Association (IWA) (LUC), working on behalf of the Review Group, has National Trust (NT) identified natural overlap between design principles and 1.2.1 The integration of HS2 within this special Natural England (NE) enhancement projects. This is a product of good design landscape requires careful consideration through design Sandwell Borough Council (SBC) and an iterative design approach that seeks to achieve to mitigate the scheme and its effects.A high standard Staffordshire County Council (SCC) maximum value. It is recognised and accepted that any of design, elegance and excellence is required, Staffordshire WildlifeTrust proposals outside of the powers of the Act would need especially for substantial structures such as the Great The Landmark Trust to be considered for consent separately by the relevant Haywood Viaduct, and mitigation measures which seek authorities, secure separate landowner agreements and 1.2.7 Stafford Borough Council have attended a the sympathetic integration of the railway within the potentially form part of the enhancements projects, to be number of meetings and provided comments on this wider historic landscape. funded by the £1.5m budget. guide, mindful of the Council’s position as a qualifying 1.2.2 The overall aim of this commission is to authority. develop a Trent-Sow Parklands and Cannock Chase 1.2.8 The purpose of the Review Group is to develop Project Area AONB Design and Environmental Enhancement Plan a set of general and detailed design principles that comprising the following elements: 1.2.12 The project area (see Figure 1.1) has been would be used as guidance by HS2 and its contractors developed in collaboration with the Review Group to Stage 1: Design Principles - both general and to inform the general and detailed design of the Scheme provide a focus for both the Design Principles and the detailed principles, for works across the project in order to create a locally responsive, high quality Enhancements Projects. area design through this important and environmentally 1.2.13 This area covers just over 3,500ha, extending Stage 2: Environmental Enhancement Plan - for sensitive landscape. To inform the Review Group’s approximately 3.0km north and south from the HS2 enhancement projects located outside the Act design principles, HS2 developed the ‘Phase 2a Great centre line in order to cover issues that might affect the Limits Haywood Illustrative Design Plan’ (see Figure 1.2), important landscapes surrounding the route. which sets out HS2 design principles for the area at the 1.2.3 The purpose of the Design and Environmental Project’s current design stage. The Terms of Reference Enhancement Plan is to inform the design of key railway 1.2.14 The Detailed Design Principles focus on the (ToR) of the Review Group recognise that HS2 will have infrastructure in this area, namely the Great Haywood direct above ground impacts resulting from 7.2km of due regard to the outputs of the Design Principles as far Viaduct and Ingestre Green Overbridge, as well as HS2 between Trent Walk Underbridge (ch.209+814) as is reasonably practical, providing they: landscape, earthworks and planting design. It is also in the west to Colwich Bridleway 23 Accommodation Green Overbridge (ch.202+600) in the east of the intended to help identify environmental enhancement do not impact the timely, economic and safe project area. measures that can be implemented alongside the delivery, or operation, of the railway; construction and subsequent operation of HS2, be consistent with HS2 Phase 2a Environmental integrating the railway in this special landscape. Minimum Requirements; and be relevant to the grounds on which the relevant 1.2.4 Whilst the Plan will be delivered in two separate planning authority would be entitled to refuse reports, it will be developed in a holistic manner, with approval under Schedule 17 to the Act. the Enhancement Projects building on the Design Principles established in the first stage, reflecting the 1.2.9 Following the completion of the design deep understanding of the project area. principles the Review Group will review the nominated | 04 Figure 1.1 - Project Area Contains Ordnance Survey data © Crown copyright and database right 2019. Contains HS2 data © HS2_Phase_2a_AP2_SES2_February_2019. | 05 Figure 1.2 - Great Haywood Illustrative Design Plan | 06 © HS2 (May 2018), Extract taken from C861-ARP-EV-REP-000-123838 Audience for this Guide 1.3 Document structure 1.2.15 This Guide is aimed at HS2’s contractors and Prepare design principles their design teams who will be producing proposals for 1.3.1 This Design Guide sets out the protection of Shaping and influencing design submission to HS2. While not part of the Schedule 17 important features and integration of the HS2 scheme principles for: process, the Design Principles may be a useful tool for into its surroundings, as well as enhancement to the the local planning authority. In both cases it assumes Great Haywood Viaduct project area, and is intended to guide detailed design a reasonable degree of skill and knowledge in both Ingestre Green Bridge and delivery of the project vision for the area. This relevant professions and of the environmental context of Earthworks Guide therefore presents: the proposals. The various roles and process is shown Planting An overview of the spatial context of the project in Diagram 1.1 opposite.