We have received the following update from the Buckinghamshire County Council HS2 team:
(Note: previous Updates can be found on the Campaigns part of this web site at https://www.amershamsociety.org/topics/hs2/)
This E-update looks at the recent HS2 Select Committee hearings and the introduction of Additional Provisions 5.
Select Committee schedule
In the last two weeks the Select Committee has been hearing from Camden petitioners. This is scheduled to continue until the 17 December when the Christmas recess will begin. Parliament is due to return on the 5 January so we anticipate hearings will begin again on this date. The full schedule up until the 17 December can be found at http://www.parliament.uk/documents/commons-committees/hs2/Programme/2015-16/07.12.15_Programme_Dec.pdf.
Additional Provisions 5
The Additional Provisions 5 and Supplementary Environmental Statement 4 have now been published. The majority of changes within Buckinghamshire relate to the diversion of utility supplies. However there is a major change in the form of an extension to the Wendover Green Tunnel (which forms part of the Supplementary Environmental Statement for AP5).
The deadline for petitioning is 8 January 2016. The deadline for responding to the consultation on the Supplementary Environmental Statement is 22 January 2016.
The documentation can all be found at https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/supplementary-envisonmental-statement-4-and additional-provisions-5-december-2015
Petitions against AP4
Petitions submitted against the Additional Provisions 4 of the Hybrid Bill (which included the extension of the Chilterns Tunnel) have now been published. These can be found at http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cmhs2/addpetitions4/addpetcontents4.htm. There were a total of 278 petitions against the Additional Provisions 4.
The Locus Standi challenges (right to be heard) have also now been published by the Promoter, the list of those challenged is at https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/477287/Promoter_s_note_on_locus_standi_challenges_relating_to_petitions_against_Additional_Provisions.pdf. The Promoter previously published a guide on Locus Standi challenges that can be found at https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/477287/Promoter_s_note_on_locus_standi_challenges_relating_to_petitions_against_Additional_Provisions.pdf with the additional documents referenced in that guide published at http://www.parliament.uk/documents/commons-committees/hs2/Documents_Referred_to_in_Locus_Standi_Note.pdf.
FCC Sidings at Calvert
HS2 has agreed to promote a Transport and Works Order (TWO) to relocate the FCC Waste Sidings to the South of Sheephouse Wood. If this is successful it would bring some relief to the local residents through a reduction in noise and visual impact. The County Council, District Council and Parish Councils all supported FCCs petition and presented points in support of the relocation. Concerns have been raised that this is not to be included in an Additional Provision but the Select Committee gave a clear steer that this was the preferred route.
This ask was 1 of 6 Calvert and Steeple Claydon Mitigation Plan points which the County and District Council presented to the Select Committee in October. This is the latest success following the removal of Sustainable Placement at Shepherd’s Furze Farm. We continue to push the remaining points:
- Improved Lighting for the Infrastructure Maintenance Depot
- A Station on East West Rail at Steeple Claydon
- Improved Landscaping for the Infrastructure Maintenance Depot
- Improved Connectivity across the area (Broadband provision and Public Rights of Way)
The transcript for this hearing can be found at http://www.parliament.uk/documents/commons-committees/hs2/oral-evidence/2015-16/09_12%2015_Uncorrected_Morning.pdf
Sensitive Junctions
The Council has been working with HS2 on an assurance for sensitive junctions across the County.
More detailed capacity assessments will be carried out on the following junctions to inform what mitigation is required:
- A413/A404 Whielden Lane roundabout
- A355 London End/Park Lane roundabout
- A413/Leather Lane priority junction
- A413/Rocky Lane priority junction
- A355/A413 Gore Hill roundabout
- A413 Link Road Roundabout, Great Missenden
- A413/B485 Roundabout, Great Missenden
- A4010 New Road/Cressex roundabout
- A40/A4010 Chapel Lane priority junction
- A40/A4010 West Wycombe roundabout
- A4010/North Lee Lane north of Terrick
- A418 Oxford Road/Coldharbour Way roundabout
- A418 Oxford Road/Fowler Road signals
- A418 Oxford Road/A41 Gatehouse Road roundabout
- A41 Gatehouse Road/A41 Bicester Road roundabout
- A41/ Rabans Lane roundabout
- A41/ Jackson Road roundabout
- A41 / Western Link road signals
- A41 / Berryfields / Aylesbury Vale Parkway roundabout
- A41 / Griffin Lane
- A4010 / A4129 Princes Risborough
- A 412 Five Points roundabout /Wood Lane A412 roundabout
- Langley Park Road /Wood Lane Iver
- A4010/B4009/Chalkshire Road
Safety assessments will be carried out on the following junctions:
- A40 London Rd / A355 Pyebush Roundabout
- A413 / A404 Crematorium Roundabout
- A404 / Whielden La
- A355 / Ledborough La
- A40 London Rd / A355 London End
- A413 / School La (Amersham Old Town) / Shardeloes
- A413 Missenden bypass / Weedon Hill
- A413 / Chalk La / Taylors La
- A413/ Leather Lane
- B485 / Hyde Heath Rd
- B485 Chesham Rd / Hyde Heath Rd
- B485 / Kings La
- A413 / London Rd
- B485 / Frith Hill
- A413 / Aylesbury Rd
- A413 / Rocky La/Chesham La
- A4010 New Rd / Cressex Rd
- A40 West Wycombe Rd / A4010 Chapel La
- A4010 Risborough Rd / B4009 Nash Lee Rd / Chalkshire Rd
- A4010 Risborough Road / North Lee Road
- A40 West Wycombe Rd / A4010 Bradenham Rd
- A4157 Elmhust Rd / A418 Bierton Rd
- A413 Buckingham Rd / A4157 Weedon Rd
- A4010 New Rd / A4129 Longwick Road
- A41 / Blackgrove Rd (Waddesdon crossroads)
- A41 / Station Rd
- Edgcott Rd / Main St / The Broadway
- Grendon Rd / Edgcott Rd / Marsh Gibbon Rd
- A41 Aylesbury Rd /The Broadway
- A421 Tingewick bypass / Barton Rd
- A421 / A4421 / Sandpit Hill
- A413 / Joiners Lane roundabout
- A413 Chalfont St Giles / B4442 (Pheasant Hill/ High St) double mini-roundabout
- A413 / Bottom House Farm Lane priority junction
- Separate Temp site access onto Little Missenden bypass
- A413 / B485 / roundabout
- A413 / A355 Gore Hill (Amersham) roundabout
- A413 / A404 Stanley Hill roundabout
- Bishopstone rat run
- Waddesdon crossroads
- Temp site access onto Wendover bypass
- A41 Bicester Road site compound access
- A40 Stokenchurch to West Wycombe
- A4010 High Wycombe to Stoke Mandeville
- A4129 Thame to Princes Risborough
- A412 / Church Road
- A40 Pyebush roundabout to A355
We are still in the process of agreeing the Assurance, and we have asked HS2 Ltd to add some further junctions in Iver.
Report on the Performance of the Need to Sell Scheme
The Department for Transport (DfT) has released a Report on the Performance of the Need to Sell Scheme (NTS), specifically focusing on the early trends from the scheme. The report states that the DfT believe that the NTS is working successfully pointing out a higher acceptance rate than the previous Exceptional Hardship Scheme (EHS) with the increase from 30% up to 61%. This report follows the Select Committee Chairman’s request to MPs for information on applicants to the scheme as the Select Committee continue to evaluate its effectiveness.
The full report from the DfT can be found at http://www.parliament.uk/documents/commons-committees/hs2/HS2ltd_need-to-sell-early-trends.pdf.
Buckinghamshire Compensation and Mitigation Panel (BCMP)
A meeting of the BCMP took place on Tuesday 1 December. At this meeting members discussed Additional Provisions 5, the recent Select Committee hearings and the impact of changes in the Wendover area. Details of the next meeting are yet to be confirmed.
Each CFA area has a community representative on the panel who should be feeding back discussions had at the BCMP. If you would like to know who your representative is or you are not receiving feedback from these meetings, it is important that you let us know. Local County Councillors are also invited.
Buckinghamshire County Council HS2 team:
Jackie Copcutt jcopcutt@buckscc.gov.uk Tel: 01296 383793
Darl Sweetland dsweetland@bucksccc.gov.uk Tel: 01296 383463
HS2 Blueprint Mailbox HS2Blueprint@buckscc.gov.uk
BCC HS2 Webpages: http://www.buckscc.gov.uk/environment/hs2/