London,
15
July
2016
|
11:58
Europe/London

Leader: Reviewing HS2 and Euston should be priority for Grayling

Update 19 September: The Secretary of State for Transport replied on 25 July. Councillor Hayward sent a follow up letter (12 August) to clarify the points in his response. The Secretary of State replied to this letter on 8 September. 

Camden Council Leader Sarah Hayward has written to new Secretary of State for Transport Chris Grayling MP urging him to bring certainty to the thousands of people affected by plans for High Speed 2 (HS2).

Read the letter.

Camden Council opposes the Government’s current plans for High Speed 2 which will bring decades of destruction and blight to Camden. If HS2 does go ahead, Camden is determined to get the best possible deal for its communities.

The Council secured over 100 assurances from HS2 at the end of last year to mitigate the impact of the scheme – but crucial issues remain unresolved.

Councillor Sarah Hayward, Leader of Camden Council, said:

“With the legislation bringing forward the scheme nearing the end of its parliamentary passage, this is a vital time to bring certainty to the many communities, individuals and businesses who will be affected along the route and who are already suffering substantial anxiety from the destructive impacts of the scheme.

“If the Government do press ahead with HS2, unfair compensation, HS2 Ltd’s poor community engagement and the need for a full redevelopment of the Euston mainline station, integrating proposals for HS2, Crossrail 2 and over-station development, are fundamental to mitigating the worst impacts of the proposals for the scheme.”

Cllr Hayward requests in her letter to meet the Transport Secretary to discuss these concerns and seek a way forward.

If HS2 goes ahead, Camden Council will continue to press for a comprehensive redevelopment of Euston Station. This would align the station's development with the proposed HS2 and Crossrail 2 stations and over station development to unlock the maximum amount of new affordable homes and jobs around a world-class station and reduce the impact of destruction on our surrounding communities. Current plans do not guarantee this comprehensive development of the station.

Fair compensation for residents and businesses in cities and ensuring the maximum amount of construction materials are transported by rail rather than road are other key outstanding issues for Camden.

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