DRAFT PHASE ONE ENVIRONMENTAL STATEMENT Non-Technical Summary 2 | HS2 Phase One Draft Environmental Statement | Non-Technical Summary High Speed Two (HS2) Limited, © Queen’s Printer and Controller of Her To order further copies contact: 2nd Floor, Eland House, Majesty’s Stationery Office, 2013, except where Bressenden Place, otherwise stated DfT Publications London SW1E 5DU Tel: 0300 123 1102 Copyright in the typographical arrangement Web: www.dft.gov.uk/orderingpublications Telephone 020 7944 4908 rests with the Crown. Product code : ES/01 General email enquiries [email protected] You may re-use this information (not including Website: www.hs2.org.uk logos or third-party material) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of Printed in Great Britain on paper containing the Open Government Licence. To view this at least 75% recycled fibre. licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/ doc/open-government-licence/ or write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or e-mail: [email protected]. Where we have identified any third-party copyright information you will need to obtain permission from the copyright holders concerned. ENGINE FOR GROWTH HS2 Phase One Draft Environmental Statement | Non-Technical Summary Foreword The draft Environmental Statement HS2 Ltd is consulting on the draft ES in order to Proposed changes to the January 2012 scheme When the Government submits a hybrid Bill to inform interested parties on the design of the scheme Since the Secretary of State published the proposed Parliament in late 2013, seeking powers to build a and the likely environmental effects with a view to route in January 2012, work has continued to refine new high speed railway between London and the completion of the formal ES. The draft ES is based the scheme to reduce its environmental effects, to West Midlands (referred to as Phase One of HS2), on the best information available to date and the resolve some previously unexplored engineering it will be accompanied by a formal Environmental assessment of effects and conclusions will be updated issues and to improve value for money. This has Statement (ES). The ES is being prepared in to reflect further work and decisions between now resulted in numerous minor changes and fourteen accordance with European legislation and and when the hybrid Bill is deposited. more significant design changes. The minor changes Government guidance. It will provide Members of have been incorporated into the scheme, but the Parliament with information on all the significant This consultation Secretary of State is consulting publically on the environmental effects likely to result from HS2 Consultation on the draft ES is not a statutory fourteen more significant design changes before Phase One so that they can be taken into account requirement but HS2 Ltd recognises the importance deciding whether to incorporate them into the before Parliament decides whether or not of ensuring widespread engagement on the hybrid Bill scheme. to grant the powers to build the railway. scheme and wishes to offer everybody with an interest the opportunity to: That consultation is taking place in parallel with The ES will set out: • Understand what the likely significant consultation on the draft ES. Each of the fourteen • A description of the scheme and environmental effects would be and proposed changes to the design are described in the how it was developed; what mitigation is proposed; and Design Refinement Consultation document. The draft ES incorporates both the fourteen proposed • The alternatives that were considered; • Comment on the assessment undertaken to design changes and minor amendments made since • Assessment of the likely adverse and beneficial date and the conclusions reached so far. January 2012. In the event that following public environmental effects of the scheme; and This consultation may identify issues that result in consultation the Secretary of State decides not • Proposed mitigation measures to manage or changes being made to the design of the scheme or to include one or more of the fourteen proposed reduce likely significant adverse effects. the proposals to mitigate significant adverse effects. changes in the hybrid Bill scheme, his decision will be As part of the mitigation proposals a Code of These changes will be included in the ES to reflected in the formal ES. Construction Practice will be included in the ES be submitted to Parliament. documents. It sets out the requirements and Once the hybrid Bill is deposited, there will be procedures to protect residents, businesses and the public consultation on the formal ES as part of environment adjacent to the construction sites. the Parliamentary process. HS2 Phase One Draft Environmental Statement | Non-Technical Summary Contents 1. Introduction 1 1.1 Approach to the environment 2 1.2 Consultation and engagement 3 2. Background to HS2 5 2.1 Development of HS2 5 2.2 The need for HS2 5 2.3 Enhancing capacity 6 2.4 An engine for growth 6 2.5 Controlling greenhouse gas emissions 7 2.6 Managing local effects 7 3. Description of the scheme 9 3.1 Stations 9 3.2 The route 9 3.3 Other components of the scheme 10 4. Construction and operation of the scheme 13 4.1 Construction programme 13 4.2 Construction management 13 4.3 Services and 0perating characteristics 14 4.4 Maintenance 15 4.5 Electromagnetic compatibility 15 This document has been prepared by Arup and URS for HS2. May 2013 HS2 Phase One Draft Environmental Statement | Non-Technical Summary 5. Environmental impact assessment 17 7.15 Greatworth to Lower Boddington 72 7.16 Ladbroke and Southam 75 7.17 Offchurch and Cubbington 78 6. Strategic and route-wide alternatives 19 7.18 Stoneleigh, Kenilworth and Burton Green 81 7.19 Coleshill Junction 84 6.1 Introduction 19 7.20 Curdworth to Middleton 87 6.2 Strategic alternatives to high speed rail 19 7.21 Drayton Bassett, Hints and Weeford 90 6.3 Route-wide alternatives 21 7.22 Whittington to Handsacre 93 6.4 Local alternatives considered prior to January 2012 25 7.23 Balsall Common and Hampton in Arden 96 7.24 Birmingham Interchange and Chelmsley Wood 99 7. Summary of environmental effects by area 27 7.25 Castle Bromwich and Bromford 102 7.26 Washwood Heath to Curzon Street 105 7.1 Euston 28 7.2 Camden Town and HS1 Link 32 7.3 Primrose Hill to Kilburn (Camden) 35 8 Summary of route-wide environmental effects 111 7.4 Kilburn (Brent) to Old Oak Common 38 8.1 Introduction 111 7.5 Northolt Corridor 41 8.2 Chilterns Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty 111 7.6 South Ruislip to Ickenham 44 8.3 Agriculture, forestry and soils 112 7.7 Colne Valley 47 8.4 Climate 113 7.8 The Chalfonts and Amersham 51 8.5 Cultural heritage 113 7.9 Central Chilterns 54 8.6 Ecology 113 7.10 Dunsmore, Wendover and Halton 57 8.7 Socio-economics 114 7.11 Stoke Mandeville and Aylesbury 60 8.8 Traffic and transport 115 7.12 Waddesdon and Quainton 63 8.9 Waste and material resources 116 7.13 Calvert, Steeple Claydon, Twyford and Chetwode 66 7.14 Newton Purcell to Brackley 69 HS2 Phase One Draft Environmental Statement | Non-Technical Summary | 1 1. Introduction High Speed Two (HS2) is a new high speed railway The draft ES has been produced for consultation Figure 1: The proposed HS2 network and connections proposed by Government to connect major cities in during Spring 2013 and comprises a series of to existing railways Britain. When completed, it would provide a new documents, namely: link between London, the Midlands and the North. • A non-technical summary (NTS) It would increase the capacity of the rail network to of the draft ES (this document); meet future demand and bring people and businesses • Volume 1 - An introduction to the closer together. draft ES and the scheme; and It is proposed that HS2 be developed in two phases. • Volume 2 - Twenty-six community forum area (CFA) reports and a route-wide effects Glasgow Phase One would link London, Birmingham and the Edinburgh report (Report 27) together with maps and West Coast Main Line north of Lichfield, extending for WEST COAST MAIN LINE approximately 230km (143 miles). Phase Two would photomontages, which provide a summary of the assessment of environmental effects. in due course extend to Leeds and to Manchester, The community forums have been established Carlisle Newcastle with connections onto the West Coast Main Line to inform local people about the scheme, to EAST COAST MAIN LINE south of Wigan and the East Coast Main Line south of consider local issues and discuss potential York. The proposed HS2 network and connections to ways to avoid or reduce effects and to existing railways is shown in Figure 1. identify possible community benefits. York Preston Leeds Wigan Development of Phase Two is continuing and will be Manchester This draft ES makes reference to the scope Liverpool Sheffield Meadowhall Warrington Manchester Airport subject to separate consultations, environmental and methodology report and the draft Code of Runcorn PHASE TWO assessment process, ES and a hybrid Bill at a later Crewe Construction Practice. These documents both provide East Midlands Hub Stafford date. However, where necessary the environmental background information to the draft ES and will assessment for Phase One includes consideration of be part of the formal ES. They can be found on the Birmingham Birmingham Interchange PHASE ONE the effects of operating both phases of HS2. following website: www.hs2.org.uk The draft ES for Phase One sets out the scheme and Following this consultation and continuing Old Oak Common its likely significant environmental effects based on London development of the design, the assessment will (Euston) Heathrow HS1 the current level of understanding.