Before the Hybrid Bill for HS2 goes before Parliament, HS2 Ltd has to work closely with local authorities, communities and stakeholders to develop the design of HS2 in a way which minimises potential impacts and identifies opportunities for community benefit. To do this HS2 Ltd must engage with those concerned about the environmental aspects on national and local levels. The structure for these engagement activities is:
- The National Environment Forum
- Local Planning Forums
- HS2 Community Forums
A number of consultations with defined stakeholders and one general public consultation are planned:
Local Engagement Spring 2012 (started)
Blight Consultation Spring 2012
Safeguarding Consultation Spring 2012
Scoping of the EIA Spring 2012
Environmental Statement Public Consultation Spring 2013
This will all lead to the Hybrid Bill which has a target deposit date of 25th October 2013.
Further details about these can be found in updates provided by some local authorities and at the HS2 Ltd website on the pages describing their engagement via forums and consultations. The information below has been taken from the HS2 Ltd website and an update from Warwickshire County Council (Feb 2012).
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National Environment Forum
This will consist of national representatives of environmental consultees and government departments and will concentrate on methodology and structures. Local and regional representation has been requested.
Local Planning Forums
These will be attended by officers of county and district councils etc together with staff of HS2 Ltd. Councils have taken the view that, although they object to the proposal to build a high speed rail line, they would be failing in their duty if they didn’t engage with HS2 Ltd to protect the interests of the people they represent.
At the first meeting (eg in Warwickshire held on 9th February 2012) the HS2 Ltd staff outlined their approach to engagement and the objectives of the forums which is to facilitate dialogue regarding design work of HS2 and communicate the method, progress and findings of the environmental impact assessment. The forums are designed to provide a focal point for ongoing engagement by the area based HS2 teams and for briefing on the programme and discussion of issues and queries about the process.
Local authorities can select the most appropriate officers to attend the Planning Forum depending on the topics for discussion and a forward plan of the agenda will be produced to assist this. Sub-groups will also be formed to review and resolve location specific or technical issues and report back to the Planning Forums for sign off.
HS2 Community Forums
Letters have been sent by HS2 Ltd to all the Parish Councils along the route outlining the role of the Community Forums, which is to establish effective dialogue with local communities. Community Liaison Teams are being set up by HS2 Ltd and the first meetings are being planned for late March/early April.
HS2 see these forums as providing a way to:
- identify local priorities for the route design
- discuss potential ways to avoid and mitigate the environmental impacts of the route such as screening views of
the railway, managing noise and reinstating highways
- explore opportunities for possible community benefits
- inform the local community about HS2 proposals and consultations
About 20 forums are proposed along the route and will be made up of representatives of parishes, boroughs districts and county councils. local residents/resident action groups, local businesses, transport bodies, local environmental/heritage groups, schools/educational facilities and local farmers/landowners.
Councils are strongly recommending that HS2 consider direct invitations to the action groups as well as inviting them through the parish and town councils.
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Blight Consultation
The Government has made a commitment to introduce a package of compensation measures over and above the statutory minimum including:
- a refreshed hardship scheme
- support for those affected by construction and measures to reinforce confidence in properties above tunnels
- measures to simplify the compulsory purchase process
- a sale and rent back scheme to give homeowners within the safeguarding area more flexibility
Beginning in spring 2012 HS2 Ltd will consult on a detailed set of proposals, enabling a new blight scheme to be in place in the autumn 2012. Who will be consulted is not apparent from information to date.
Safeguarding Consultation
A ‘safeguarding zone’ either side of the route will delineate the land that HS2 expect to need in order to build and operate it. HS2 Ltd will draw up a provisional set of boundaries and hold a consultation on them in spring 2012, at the same time as the consultation on blight proposals. They will consult with the statutory bodies, including local highways authorities and planning authorities, which have a direct involvement in safeguarding issues. The feedback will be used to finalise the arrangements for safeguarding, expected to be in autumn 2012.
Once the safeguarding zone has been agreed any planning applications for developments or construction projects within the zone would have to be referred to HS2 for decision. The existing statutory blight provisions would apply to any qualifying owners of land or property within the zone.
Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA)
The EIA will provide an overall assessment of the significant effects the project is likely to have on the environment and proposals to avoid or minimise any significant negative impacts. The EIA will involve
- a scoping stage
- local engagement via Community Forums
- a report called an Environmental Statement
The responses received as part of the consultation on the Appraisal of Sustainability in 2011 will be used by HS2 Ltd as a starting point for planning the EIA.
HS2 Ltd have made requests for data and have reached an initial agreement with the NFU (National Farmers Unit) and the CLA (Country Landowners Association) on access to land and will be beginning survey work in February 2012. They anticipate this will cover thousands of sites in due course. They have asked the local authorities to help with access and with identifying suitable points for monitoring work. HS2 Ltd does not have right of access.
HS2 Ltd have been asked keep councils informed of site visits so that highways staff and elected Members would know if they were contacted by concerned land owners etc. They were also asked to ensure Members are briefed before the Community Forums are held.
Scoping & methodology
The scope and methodology for the EIA includes setting out the minimum information to be provided which is:
- a description of the project (site, design and size)
- a description of the data required to identify and assess the main effects and details of mitigation measures
- an outline of the main alternatives
- a non-technical summary of the information mentioned above
- a description of the likely significant
direct effects
any indirect, secondary and cumulative effects
short, medium and long term, permanent and temporary, positive and negative effects
- a description of the aspects likely to be affected:
population, fauna, flora, soil, water, air, climatic factors, material assets including the architectural and
archaeological heritage, landscape and inter-relationship between the above factors.
During spring, statutory bodies, key environmental stakeholders and relevant Planning Authorities will be invited to respond to HS2 Ltd's the proposed EIA scope and methodology document, which would define the ways in which an EIA for HS2 will be carried out. The organisations will be asked to share their recommendations for what impacts should and should not be included in the assessment, how information would be collected, and the method and criteria that would be used for analysing impacts. The responses will be analysed and the scoping document refined, finalised and published. This information will be published on the HS2.org.uk website for any interested members of the public.
Report
As part of the Hybrid Bill process, a book of reference will be developed which will log all the issues identified and record the built environment through which the line will be constructed.
An Environmental Statement will be prepared for deposit of the hybrid bill which will include matters such as community and property, landscape and visual impacts, biodiversity, surface water, ground water, archaeology, traffic and transport, waste and resources.
HS2 Ltd's work on assessing likely environmental impacts, considering mitigation measures, and engaging with organisations and local communities will all feed into the Environmental Statement.
There will be a public consultation on the draft Environmental Statement during the spring/summer of 2013. This will provide an opportunity for the public and organisations to comment on how we have assessed the impacts and the proposed mitigation measures before the Hybrid Bill process. Once the responses have been analysed, the Environmental Statement will be finalised and submitted to Parliament as part of the Hybrid Bill process.
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HS2 Ltd
HS2 Ltd as the body charged with delivering the scheme is recruiting and developing and has appointed CH2M Hill and PSF consultants to work with them. A structure chart is available on the HS2 Ltd website. The line from London to the West Midlands will be split into 4 areas and a project manager appointed for each and the stakeholder liaison will also be area based.
Access to information
Information is available on the HS2 Ltd website at www.hs2.org.uk and many councils are expected to put information on their own websites, eg for Warwickshire go to www.warwickshire.gov.uk/hs2