HS2 – latest – part 1

HS2 – latest – part 1

Published 18 May 2018

Following the Kings Bromley Parish Council Petition against certain aspects of the HS2 Hybrid Bill, Charles Cole from the Parish Council and John Sadler from the HS2 Joint Action Group were summoned to appear before the House of Commons Select Committee which had been set up to consider the Petitions. The major items covered were those that
had been brought up by Parishioners, landowners, businesses and Richard Crosse School. These include:
1. Closure of Common Lane
HS2 had already put forward a proposal to Staffordshire County Council and the Parish Council to keep Common Lane open. Although this went a long way to meeting the objections the Council had put forward, especially relating to safety concerns around the school, it appears that HS2 still want Common Lane to be closed for up to 4 years during
the Construction Phase. The Select Committee were told that this was totally unacceptable to the Parish Council and that further discussions must take place to resolve this.
2. Height of the Railway Embankment around Kings Bromley.
HS2 had already agreed with Staffordshire County Council that the height of the proposed embankment could be reduced by ‘up to’ 3 metres. Although this is a step in the right direction, concern was expressed at the Select Committee that good reasons should be given if the maximum height reduction was not achieved.
3. Borrow Pits.
It is proposed that 4 Borrow Pits would be dug in the Parish to provide aggregate for the construction of the railway. Although HS2 are in discussion with the National Farmers Union about these plans, the Parish Council raised concerns about the amount of good
agricultural land ear-marked for these pits when other sources may be available. Also previous experience has led the landowners to be concerned about the state of the land when the pits are restored for agricultural use. If the height of the embankment was lowered, HS2 were questioned whether it would be necessary to dig all 4 borrow pits.