(Minister of State, Department for Transport): I
have today published new information on the development of the
Western Leg of HS2 Phase 2b, running between Crewe and Manchester
with a link to the West Coast Main Line. This includes:
- A Government consultation on four proposed changes to the
design;
- A response to Western Leg changes included in the 2019 Design
Refinement Consultation;
- A route-wide update, which sets out how the route has
developed, including changes in response to feedback from
affected communities; and
- Updated Safeguarding Directions for the Western Leg.
The Government has accepted the findings in the review by Douglas
Oakervee that Phase 2b should be delivered in smaller sections
with legislation brought forward as it is ready. Therefore, HS2
Ltd has taken forward work to develop legislation for the Western
Leg of HS2 Phase 2b.
The Government has also accepted the Oakervee recommendation that
plans for HS2 and other major schemes need to be brought together
in an Integrated Rail Plan (IRP) for the North and Midlands.
The IRP will set out the form, scope and phasing of the Phase 2b
route, across the Western and Eastern legs, and the
Government will therefore consider responses to this consultation
alongside the IRP outcomes. If the IRP favours any major changes,
further redesign will need to take place. This consultation seeks
to ensure that unnecessary delay is avoided in the event that the
IRP does not support change.
Work on HS2 Phase One from London to Birmingham is already well
underway at over 250 active sites, stimulating the economy and
providing jobs through the approximately £10 billion worth of
contracts already announced, two thirds of which will go to small
and medium sized enterprises.
Legislation for Phase 2a, from Birmingham to Crewe, is currently
being considered by Parliament.
The proposals I am putting forward today are the next step in
developing the design and legislation for the Western Leg of
Phase 2b, following the 2019 Design Refinement Consultation.
Phase 2b of HS2 is key to delivering Northern Powerhouse Rail
(NPR) and the consultation includes proposals to integrate the
designs at a series of “touchpoints”, which are pieces of
infrastructure to enable future connections between NPR and HS2.
These proposals have been developed in partnership with Transport
for the North and will reduce the amount of infrastructure
required to deliver NPR in the future.
This consultation deals with four technical refinements to the
Western Leg of Phase 2b: a new Crewe Northern Connection, which
would also support the vision for a Crewe Hub; changes to the
already proposed rolling stock depot at Crewe; expansions to the
stations at Manchester Piccadilly and Manchester Airport; and a
newly proposed facility for stabling rolling stock at Annandale
in Scotland.
Changes at Manchester Piccadilly to facilitate Metrolink and
Manchester Airport High Speed station are subject to the
agreement of local funding contributions. We continue to
collaborate positively with Greater Manchester Combined
Authority, Manchester Airports Group and other Greater Manchester
delivery partners on this matter. Greater Manchester partners
have confirmed that they are prepared to prioritise the funding
of the local proposals for Metrolink underground at Piccadilly in
future funding rounds. This will form part of the shared
programme between DfT and Greater Manchester in implementing the
Manchester HS2 Growth Strategy. In the 2020 budget, Government
made £4.2bn of funding available to eight city regions for
intra-city transport initiatives over the period 2022/23 to
2026/27.
In addition to today’s consultation, I am publishing my response
to the proposed Western Leg changes included in the June 2019
Phase 2b Design Refinement Consultation. The Government has
decided to proceed with these changes subject to the outcome of
the IRP.
I have also published a route-wide update which sets out wider
developments to the route. The Safeguarding Directions for the
Phase 2b Western Leg route have also been updated to reflect the
project’s updated land requirements.
Engagement with affected communities is at the heart of our plans
for HS2 and it is our commitment to ensure we listen to those
affected by these proposals. Restrictions put in place in
response to the COVID-19 pandemic mean that we will not be able
to hold local information events in the same way that we usually
would as part of our formal consultation process. HS2 Ltd will
deliver information events via digital platforms instead. These
digital events will allow those affected the same opportunities
to understand what refinements are being proposed and to ask any
questions that they may have to our representatives. Where owners
of land or property are newly affected by the proposals, they
will be contacted directly by HS2 Ltd to arrange online or
telephone appointments.
