FOR PUBLICATION CURRENT CONSULTATION ON THE GOVERNMENT'S HIGH SPEED TRAIN (HS2) PROPOSALS MEETING: 1. OVERVIEW AND PERFORMANCE SCRUTINY FORUM DATE: 1.Thursday 17 th October 2013 REPORT BY: HEAD OF REGENERATION WARD: ALL KEY DECISION 331 REFERENCE: FOR PUBLICATION BACKGROUND PAPERS FOR PUBLIC REPORTS: TITLE: 1. HS2 Phase Two Consultation Document 2. Staveley and Rother Valley Corridor Area Action Plan, Preferred Option 2012 LOCATION: 1. http://www.hs2.org.uk/phase-two/route- consultation/document-library 2. http://www.chesterfield.gov.uk/Branches/Chesterfield/Websit e/Files/Documents/Environment/Local%20Development% 20Framework/Staveley%20Works%20Area%20Action%2 0Plan/SRVC%20AAP%20Preferred%20Option%20for%20 Publication%20Nov%202012.pdf Overview and Performance Scrutiny Forum th 17 October 2013 1.0 PURPOSE OF REPORT 1.1 To give an interim report on the government proposals for the Birmingham to Leeds high-speed rail line (HS2) published for consultation on 17 th July 2013. 1.2 To put forward for discussion elements that might be appropriate to include in the Chesterfield Borough Council response to the HS2 consultation. NOTE: AS MENTIONED IN THE REPORT, APPRAISAL OF THE EFFECTS OF THE HS2 PROPOSALS IS STILL TAKING PLACE. MANY OBSERVATIONS AND CONCLUSIONS IN THIS REPORT ARE ONLY PROVISIONAL THEREFORE, AND SHOULD NOT BE TAKEN AS FINAL COMMENTARY OR ADVICE. 2.0 RECOMMENDATIONS 2.1 That the report be considered. 3.0 BACKGROUND 3.1 On 28 th January 2013 the government announced that the Birmingham to Leeds leg of the proposed High Speed Rail link would pass through the eastern part of the borough. Comments were not invited. 3.2 On 17th July 2013 the government announced the start of a formal period of public consultations about the Birmingham to Leeds and Birmingham to Manchester legs of the proposed High Speed Rail link. Responses have to be received by the government by 31 st January 2014. 3.3 The government’s consultation raises issues for several areas of the council’s activities. Since the most significant are to do with planning and development, Richard Bryant (Principal Planner, Strategic Planning and Key Sites) is co- ordinating council work and contacts to do with HS2 for the time being. 3.4 The consultation asks people to respond to nine questions. Whilst this report is not structured in that way, to have maximum effect the council’s eventual response needs to Overview and Performance Scrutiny Forum th 17 October 2013 broadly fit that pattern. The nine questions are attached at Appendix A. 4.0 DISCUSSION THE ROUTE BEING PROPOSED General 4.1 The route for the Birmingham to Leeds HS2 leg published for consultation on 17 th July 2013 is the same as that published without prior notice on 28 th January 2013, save that more detail is given about the proposals for the area at the former Staveley Works site where the maintenance depot is proposed to be located. The route as published runs on a south /north line through the east of the borough, in the valleys of the Rivers Doe Lea and Rother. Markham Vale 4.2 Going south to north, the published route first enters the borough through the eastern part of the Markham Vale site, (on the Bolsover side of the M1). From North East Derbyshire it comes on viaduct over the A632 and Buttermilk Lane (B6418) after which the line is proposed to cut straight into the old Markham Colliery South Tip. 4.3 The HS2 proposals show the line emerging from its cutting into the South Tip and going north on embankment between 12 and 16 metres above current levels across the eastern parts of plot 1 (north and central). This is where planning permission has been granted for the ‘Green Giant’ warehouse development and where the disused branch railway to Bolsover runs. 4.4 Going north from plot 1 (north) the proposed line goes on to a 540-metre viaduct that bends slightly west to cross the M1, the River Rother and the defunct branch line going to the former Seymour sidings, the Oxcroft Coal Disposal point at Stanfree and the Clowne to Creswell route. Woodthorpe and Netherthorpe 4.5 On embankment for 150 metres, it then goes into a 950 metre cutting 12 metres deep below Bridle Road, Woodthorpe. The cutting has yet to be designed in detail, Overview and Performance Scrutiny Forum th 17 October 2013 but as shown now the excavation would be likely to threaten the future of two dwellings on Bridle Road. A bridge is proposed to carry Bridle Road over the cutting and maintain access to the homes at Woodthorpe Grange from the Woodthorpe direction. 4.6 The proposed line emerges from cutting north of Bridle Road at the eastern edge of the River Doe Lea floodplain and just inside the Netherthorpe Flashes Local Wildlife Site. It goes at natural ground level for about 35 metres before going on to viaduct to head over the A619 in the open break between Lowgates and Norbriggs. Before reaching the road a branch starts to curve off to the west, again on viaduct, to access the proposed maintenance depot on the site of the former Staveley Works Lowgates and Norbriggs to Renishaw (Maps 4 and 5) 4.7 Just north of the A619, still on viaduct, the proposed line intersects with the existing line of electricity pylons which it follows north, and the branch curving to the west goes above the north east corner of the Riverdale park homes site. On viaduct and heading due north, the main line viaduct goes across the Norbriggs Flash Local wildlife Site, which is also a Local Nature Reserve. It crosses the River Doe Lea and the old Chesterfield Canal ‘puddle bank’, which is the route of the ‘Cuckoo Way’ long-distance path. The viaduct re-crosses the river and then goes on to embankment for 370 metres until it is beside the sewage works. (Map 5) By the ‘puddle bank’ crossing, the main line is joined by a branch from the west going north on viaduct, which is proposed to give access to the proposed maintenance depot on the site of the former Staveley Works, Northwards from the sewage works the proposed main line goes on to viaduct again for a short section, then reverts to embankment to cross the borough boundary near the part of Renishaw which is called ‘The Hague’. Just over the boundary in North East Derbyshire, the main line embankment then directly overlies the route of the Chesterfield Canal and cuts across the Trans-Pennine Trail (on the former ‘Beighton Line’ railway). Staveley and Rother Valley Corridor 4.8 An 11 hectare Infrastructure Maintenance Depot is proposed on the former Staveley Works site. This will need to be Overview and Performance Scrutiny Forum th 17 October 2013 addressed in the emerging Staveley and Rother Valley Corridor Area Action Plan. Although an initial assessment suggests that there may be scope to accommodate the proposal alongside key planned housing and infrastructure, more information is needed about the proposed depot in order to clarify the impact. 4.9 The approach lines linking the proposed depot to the HS2 main line pass close to Lowgates and would directly affect the established park homes site there. They would also interfere with the Chesterfield Canal restoration, potential rail access to Markham Vale and the Erin landfill operation, and the potential for reinstatement of branch lines (Bolsover, Stanfree, Clowne and Creswell). Chesterfield Canal 4.10 The proposed route would have a considerable effect on the line of the restoration of Chesterfield Canal. Within Chesterfield Borough the proposed route and link to the proposed infrastructure depot would impact on the canal at Staveley Puddle Bank; occupy the site of the proposed Hartington or Railway Lock, and cut and lie over a considerable stretch of the canal route in the Doe Lea Valley and at Renishaw and Killamarsh. In the short term, the proposals have thwarted the Canal Partnership’s ambitions to obtain special funding for planned improvements. CONSULTATION TIMETABLE AND EVENTS 4.11 The current consultation started on 17th July 2013. Responses have to be received by the government by 31 st January 2014. HS2 Ltd has a website www.hs2.org.uk and the Phase 2 consultation can be found at: http://www.hs2.org.uk/developing-hs2/consultations/phase- two 4.12 Public consultation on the proposals is taking place until 31st January 2014 and comments have to be made directly to HS2 via the above website or in writing/by email to the address given on the website. Appendix A lists the nine questions around which the consultation is structured. Overview and Performance Scrutiny Forum th 17 October 2013 4.13 Paper copies of the proposals can be seen at the following local libraries: • Staveley • Chesterfield • Bolsover • Killamarsh • Holmewood 4.14 A series of public information days are being organised by t he HS2 consultation team. Locally these will take place at: • Meadowhall Shopping Centre, Sheffield on Friday 8th November from noon to 8pm and Saturday 9th November from 10am and 5pm. • Killamarsh on Thursday 14th November from noon to 8pm • Bolsover on Thursday 28th November from noon to 8pm • Staveley on Friday 29th November from noon to 8pm 4.15 These details have been put on the council’s website at: http://www.chesterfield.gov.uk/HS2-1163.html to help users seeking information about the proposal and to encourage interested parties locally to have their say. POSITIVE AND NEGATIVE IMPACTS AND EFFECTS General 4.16 Taken together, the proposals have the potential to impact adversely upon existing settlements, individual homes, farms, businesses and Local Wildlife Sites in the east of Chesterfield borough, presenting only a few opportunities for positive enhancements.