HS2 railway
The Government is building a new railway between London and Birmingham, called High Speed 2. The construction of the railway will affect the people, businesses and natural environment in Three Rivers District, just south of Maple Cross and near to West Hyde.
The High Speed Rail (London – West Midlands) Act 2017 gave powers to a government body, HS2 Ltd, to build a new railway that will cross part of the Three Rivers District.
There will be 1.4 miles of track in Three Rivers District, just south of Maple Cross and near to West Hyde between a 2 mile viaduct over the Colne Valley and a tunnel under the Chilterns, as well as semi-permanent construction compounds. Initial work is now underway on the new High Speed railway (HS2) between London and Birmingham. These are major works so there will be significant local disruption for at least the next 10 years.
Three Rivers District Council raised serious concerns about the impact of the works and has received assurances from the Government about the way the railway will be built, including the construction of temporary slip roads to link the M25 with the site to reduce heavy construction traffic on local roads.
You can see some of the official plans here:
Proposed scheme plan (pdf)
Construction works plan (pdf)
Definitions, legal notices and disclaimers (pdf)
High Speed Two Limited (HS2 Ltd) is responsible for developing the high speed rail network and has appointed contractors which will produce detailed designs for the railway. The Council will be consulted on details of the final schemes and will continue to check that HS2 Ltd and their contractors deliver to agreed plans and commitments particularly around noise, light and dust pollution. Lorry routes will be agreed by Hertfordshire County Council as the Highway Authority.
Planning:
Planning permission was granted for the railway under the High Speed Rail (London – West Midlands) Act 2017. This permission is subject to special consents known as ‘HS2 Act Conditions’ that require Local Planning Authorities to approve particular aspects of the development or construction works.
For further details go to : Hertfordshire County Council HS2 High Speed Railway Project
Websites
HS2 Ltd have set up a website, HS2 in Herts, to provide information about the proposal for the HS2 route as it travels through Hertfordshire, how it is being constructed and what is being done to make this less disruptive.
Further details on the whole route are available on High Speed 2 Ltd.
Enquiries and Complaints:
If you have an enquiry or want to make a complaint contact the HS2 Ltd Helpline:
- Freephone 08081 434 434 or Minicom 08081 456 472
- Email HS2Enquiries@hs2.org.uk
- Write to: The Community Hub, High Speed Two (HS2) Ltd Two Snowhill, Snow Hill Queensway, Birmingham B4 6GA
- Visit the HS2 website at www.gov.uk
Its stated aim is to resolve complaints swiftly and efficiently.
For cases where a response to a complaint about Phase One construction is unsatisfactory, or remains outstanding, the Government has appointed an independent Construction Commissioner (complaints@hs2-cc.org.uk). Their role is to mediate in unresolved disputes between the project and individuals or bodies and to provide independent, impartial recommendations. This will be important in ensuring a fair and balanced approach to cases that cannot be resolved through the normal complaints procedure.
Construction commissioner Leaflet (pdf)
If you would like to know about the actions that the District Council is taking in response to the proposals, or if you need help to understand the proposals, you are welcome to contact the Economic & Sustainable Development team at 01923 776611 or email enquiries@threerivers.gov.uk.
Construction work updates:
2021
2018 Updates
2017 Updates