Resources Directorate , Planning & Regeneration Town Hall Long Eaton Derbyshire NG10 1HU Switchboard: 0115 907 2244 E Mail: [email protected] Please ask for: Richard Green Direct Tel: 0115 9072244 x3152 Our Ref: EBC Date: 29 April 2014 Dear Sir/Madam, Aligned Core Strategy Proposed Main Modifications Consultation (Nottingham City, Broxtowe and Gedling). The recently adopted Erewash Core Strategy has been produced in broad alignment with the Aligned Core Strategies of Broxtowe Borough, Gedling Borough and Nottingham City Councils, as the Borough forms part of the Nottingham Core Housing Market Area. Erewash Borough Council believe that working together to prepare broadly aligned strategic policies with the other Greater Nottingham Councils (also including Rushcliffe Borough Council) has led to effective and more joined up planning outcomes, whilst making best use of resources by sharing staff and expertise, whilst also providing value for money by sharing the cost of producing much of the common evidence base. This partnership working has also enabled the Council’s to fulfil their statutory Duty to Cooperate. Erewash Borough Council therefore welcomes the opportunity to comment on this consultation and largely supports these proposed modifications. However, Erewash Borough Council would like to point out in relation to Proposed Main Modifications C259a & C264a that it has yet to make a decision on the merits or otherwise of an extension of the tram route into Erewash Borough. Indeed the recently adopted Erewash Core Strategy makes no reference to this matter and it also did not form any part of the Borough Council’s response to the HS2 Ltd Phase 2 line of route consultation (see attachment). In addition I have also attached the URS Feasibility Study (Extension of ‘NET’ Tram West of Toton – East Midlands Hub) which in the section ‘Providing Connection from Local Communities’ (page 14) states that this extension of the tram route may not be viable and the potential of a HS2 station at Toton might be better exploited through amendments to local bus services. *P.T.O. As a result of this, the Borough Council believes that a reference to a proposed extension to the tram route into Erewash Borough should not form part of the specified proposed main modifications. Kind regards, Richard Green Planning Policy Officer Erewash Borough Council Erewash Borough Council Response to HS2 Ltd Phase 2 line of route consultation Section B – The Eastern Leg (West Midlands to Leeds) Question 4 – The Route and supporting Infrastructure Do you agree or disagree with the Government’s proposed route between West Midlands and Leeds? Erewash Borough Council agrees with the Government’s proposed route between West Midlands and Leeds subject to: • The provision of a station in accordance with the council’s response to Question 5c. • The re-alignment of the route through Red Hill and into the Long Eaton low level corridor so as to avoid demolition of businesses at Manor House Road etc. • The elevation of the high speed line to cross over the A6005 Nottingham Road, Station Street and Main Street in Long Eaton to maintain connectivity and the construction of a new road underneath the HS2 line at Forbes Hole. • Classic rail services for Toton (freight depot and classic passenger rail station) to be served by the existing two lines on the high level route and that extra lines not be added to that route. • Replacing the embankment west of the Erewash Canal in Sandiacre with a viaduct. • Early implementation of landscaping, where possible. • Utilisation of the existing rail corridors for plant and material transport to works in Long Eaton. • Restrictions on night-time and weekend working in Long Eaton. • A temporary level crossing to minimise disruption during removal of the A6005 Nottingham Road Bridge. • Compensation to the council for the loss of council tax and business rate revenue. • Redevelopment of the former Nylatex Works site for the relocation of affected businesses. Please see attached report for more details. Question 5c – Proposals for Stations Do you agree with the Government’s proposals for an East Midlands station to be located at Toton? Erewash Borough Council supports the proposals for an East Midlands Station at Toton subject to: • The provision of a southern access road to Long Eaton Green (extension of Midland Street). • Legal provision for Erewash licensed taxis to pick up passengers from the station. Please see attached report for more details. EREWASH BOROUGH COUNCIL Consultation response to proposed line of route for High Speed Rail 1Introduction 1.1 The proposed eastern leg of Phase 2 of HS2 passes through Erewash. Emerging from a new tunnel through Red Hill south of the River Trent, the line would cross the Trent floodplain and midland mainline railway on a 15m high viaduct, before descending to follow the corridor of the current low level freight line through Long Eaton to a new East Midlands Hub station at Toton Sidings in Broxtowe Borough. To the north it would re-enter Erewash on another viaduct west of Sandiacre, before passing back into Broxtowe along the M1 corridor. 1.2 Long Eaton will be one of the communities most heavily affected by Phase 2 of HS2, during both the construction and operational phases. Close examination of the line of route maps suggests an incompatibility between the route of HS2 with residential properties at Trent Cottages, commercial properties at Manor House Road and possibly other lineside locations. Lineside properties not demolished will experience visual and noise impacts, including around 70 residential properties at Bonsall Street, New Tythe Street and Meadow Lane next to the high speed line, and around 130 residential properties at Conway Street, Conway Road, Chesterfield Avenue and Recreation Street affected by the widening of the high level line for classic passenger rail services. The precise nature of these impacts are not known, but are likely to include safety and acoustic barriers to shield the 5m high trains and significantly high levels of residual noise. Additional residential properties on Dunstan Close, Cannock Way, Trafalgar Terrace and Trafalgar Square are likely to be affected by noise. The closure of level crossings at Station Street and Main Street and the replacement of the road bridge at Nottingham Road also raise issues of community severance. 1.3 Some houses on Rutland Street in Sandiacre may also be affected by noise. Houses backing on to the Erewash Canal at Lenton Street in Sandiacre and at Stanton Gate will experience visual impacts. Though these properties do not directly abut the railway as do those in Long Eaton, the high speed line is proposed to be on a viaduct from 5-15m high in their vicinity. 1.4 In light of the above, whilst Erewash Borough Council is generally supportive of the proposed route between the West Midlands and Leeds together with a station located at Toton, this is conditional on the development of schemes to maximise the local economic benefits arising from HS2 and measures to mitigate the anticipated negative impacts. 2 Maximising Economic Benefits 2.1 Southern Access Road – the current proposals envisage access to the hub station solely from the north to the A52 and B5010 between Sandiacre and Stapleford, the latter via Bessell Lane. A southern access to Long Eaton and the A6005 is also required to achieve the HS2 aim of integrating with local transport networks and bringing benefits to the local economy. The best current option appears to be an extension of Midland Street along the western side of the high speed line. This would require an extension of the proposed rail freight overbridge to span the new road, and a western access to the hub- station concourse, this being preferable in accessibility terms to a road bridge over the station. In order to avoid overloading junctions at Long Eaton Green it is suggested that only limited long term parking is provided at the terminus of the access road, and that the access route is designed primarily for taxi, bus, cycle and walking connections to Long Eaton. Creating a positive environment for walking and cycling along the dead frontage of this access road will require a high standard of design, e.g. through the use of tree avenues and other landscaping. 2.2 Taxi Licenses – Even with the new access road and a relocation of the station towards Long Eaton, the southern access to the station would lie in Broxtowe Borough in Nottinghamshire. Under existing licensing legislation, taxis registered in Erewash Borough would be unable to lawfully pick up passengers from that access. To overcome this bureaucratic barrier to access and local economic benefits, the parliamentary bill to build HS2 should also create an exemption to the legislation for this location, or simply transfer the land east of the River Erewash up to the high speed line to Erewash Borough Council control. 3 Minimising Impacts in Design 3.1 Re-Alignment to reduce commercial demolitions - The current proposed route of HS2 enters the low level route at Trent Junction at an angle, generating an incompatibility between the HS2 line and a number of industrial businesses at Manor House Road. These include businesses that contribute to the Long Eaton cluster of furniture manufacturers that make this town the UK centre of excellence for furniture manufacture. As there are few relocation options within Long Eaton, the relocation of these businesses could permanently harm both their viability and the wider viability of Long Eaton as a manufacturing centre. Such a straightened approach would require the replacement of a sewerage pumping station at Newberry Avenue, but this is considered preferable to the economic harm caused by attempting to relocate a number of successful businesses. 4 Maintaining Connectivity in Long Eaton 4.1 It is acknowledged that level-crossings are not compatible with the operation of a high speed line.