HS2: Rethink folly of Euston urge petitioning Camden Council

Camden Council has called for Euston Station to be redesigned in order to fulfil the vision of the Euston Area Plan (EAP) of a world-class station with new homes and jobs and bring together other major transport projects, in its petition on Additional Provision 3 (AP3), the amendment to the High Speed 2 (HS2) Bill.

Read Camden’s petition.

The Council and fellow authors of the EAP, Transport for London (TfL) and Greater London Authority (GLA), share the same view that a comprehensive redevelopment of Euston Station that fully integrates with HS2 and Crossrail 2 is essential to reduce the years of disruption residents and businesses face.

A comprehensive station design, with tracks lowered to one-level, would allow for an easily accessible station and well-planned over-site development providing new homes and jobs. Camden Council, TfL, GLA and Network Rail are working on a Growth Strategy to fully demonstrate Euston’s potential and ensure that the vision of the Euston Area Plan is realised.

Current Euston plans will see the HS2 tracks built in two phases on the western side of the station until 2033, with no timescale, funding or design for developing the remainder of the existing station. An estimated 800 two-way construction vehicle journeys will be made per day in the Euston area in the busiest spell of the 17-year HS2 building period.

To avoid or prevent the impact of this, Camden, the GLA and TfL argue strongly in their respective petitions that construction materials and the 3.5 million tonnes of excavation and construction waste generated by HS2 in Camden should be transported by rail rather than road. Camden specifically calls for lorry routes to be confined to the Transport for London and Strategic Road networks and supports TfL’s view by asking that at least 70% of materials and waste be transported by rail in its petition.

Councillor Sarah Hayward, Leader of Camden Council, said: “The changes to the HS2 Bill show a continuing failure by HS2 Ltd. to consider the effects of the proposals on Camden’s communities, who get more blight and inadequate compensation and mitigation.

"Current plans for Euston leave us with half a station that doesn’t join up with the existing station or other major transport projects like Crossrail 2 and don’t give us the amount of new homes and jobs on the site we know are possible through the Euston Area Plan. Ultimately, this means the country misses an opportunity to achieve a world-class station in Euston.

“We need the Government, Network Rail and Transport for London work together to examine redeveloping the station as a whole. A temporary terminus at Old Oak Common would give time to agree a station design at Euston that benefits everyone.”

The Council reiterates its ask for Old Oak Common to be used as a temporary terminus for HS2 to allow more time to consider the design of the new Euston Station, to ensure the impact on Camden residents and business is minimised and the final station benefits the area.

The Council also sets out criteria for HS2 Ltd. to ensure residents’ homes remain habitable during construction and asks them to work with the council to ensure open space lost to the scheme is replaced to a high-quality standard.

You can read our petition on our HS2 web-pages. Our petition on the original HS2 Bill and our AP2 petition still stand. You can read our original petition on our website.

Specific measures our AP3 petition calls for include:

Euston:

• For a full and comprehensive development of proposed HS2 works and the current Euston Station to create an integrated station with tracks on one level, allowing for over site development that includes replacement open space and housing.
• For the redevelopment of Euston Station to coordinate with proposals for Crossrail 2, with worksites shared between these projects.
• For HS2 to temporarily terminate at Old Oak Common to allow more time to get the design of Euston Station right, with the local community included in a future design process.
• For permeability to be maximised across the new station, acknowledging that the current spine building proposed would stymie the type and layout of the new development, and that pedestrian and cycling links should be improved.

Waste removal and transport

• For rail to be used where possible to remove waste and deliver construction materials in all cases where practical.
• For HS2 to restrict lorry routes to the Transport for London Road Network and Strategic Road Network and avoid unsuitable routes.
• For HS2 to agree a Sustainable Construction Transportation Plan with Camden Council and Transport for London to agree specific routes for HS2 lorry movements.
• For HS2 to fully fund mitigations that provide a network of safe pedestrian and cycle routes, with penalties imposed for breaching these.
• For a commitment to industry best practice on the safety and sustainability of construction vehicles, including the Construction Logistics and Cycle Safety (CLOCS) standard and Freight Operator Recognition Scheme (FORS).

Habitability

With over 1000 homes in Camden now estimated to experience higher noise levels than originally assessed and no adequate assessment of cumulative construction impacts on properties in place, Camden asks for:

• All homes experiencing noise higher than trigger levels to be given a noise insulation package.
• A habitability assessment of homes that experience noise above and to within 10% of the noise threshold.
• Customised mitigation to be agreed by the property owner and Camden Council prior to installation.
• If measures do not sufficiently mitigate the impacts on a property so it fails a habitability assessment, for residents to be rehoused at the cost of HS2.

Open space

• For HS2 to work with Camden to identify opportunities for temporary open space during the construction period, including ‘pop-up’ open areas so that construction sites are not left empty.
• For HS2 to work with Camden to ensure high-quality, permanent replacement open space is provided.

Other asks

• For HS2 Ltd. to provide a social worker to assist families with vulnerable children during the height of the construction phase.
• For an assessment of the impact utility works may have on emergency response times and public transport operation, as part of a Sustainable Construction Transportation Plan.
• For HS2 Ltd, to adopt a Euston Site Management Plan to ensure work is coordinated between construction sites, in consultation with local stakeholders.