High Speed Rail (London – West Midlands) Bill petitioning period
18 March 2016 (updated on 18 March 2016)
The House of Lords petitioning period for the High Speed Rail (London – West Midlands) Bill (the HS2 Bill) has been announced. Anyone who is specially and directly affected by the bill may present their objections in a document known as a ‘petition’.
The Lords petitioning period begins at 10am on Thursday 24 March 2016 and end at 5pm on Monday 18 April 2016. Petitions must be deposited within that period.
Depositing a petition
Anyone wishing to deposit a petition by hand may do so on non-bank holiday weekdays between 10am and 5pm, and, on Wednesday 13 April between 10am and 9pm in Committee Room 2A, the Committee Corridor, Houses of Parliament.
Petitions may be deposited by post or by email (but please follow the instructions in the petitioning guide). If you wish to come and deposit a petition by hand please make an appointment to do so, use our online booking form or phone the House of Lords Private Bill Office on 020 7219 2468 to make an appointment.
House of Lords petitioning kit
The full House of Lords petitioning kit is on the right hand side of the Hybrid Bills in current and previous sessions page. Please follow the instructions in the ‘House of Lords Petitioning Kit Guide’ at the top of the right hand column.
Summary of the High Speed Rail (London - West Midlands) Bill 2013-14 to 2014-15
On 25 November 2013 the government published the High Speed Rail (London-West Midlands) Bill. The bill grants the powers required to construct phase 1 of the proposed HS2 scheme from London Euston to Birmingham Curzon Street with intermediate stations in West London (Old Oak Common) and at Birmingham Airport. It provides for a connection to the existing rail link to the Channel Tunnel (HS1) but not to Heathrow Airport.
Key areas
- Authorisation of necessary works to construct and maintain phase 1 of the HS2 line (powers to carry out these works are conferred on a nominated undertaker (HS2 Ltd.))
- Power to acquire land (and limited rights in land) necessary for the works to be carried out
- Deeming of planning permission to be granted for the works
- Deregulation of works on HS2 (the disapplication of certain powers contained in other legislation)
- Railways matters, essentially the application of existing legislation to HS2 and the future regulatory regime for the line
- Facilitating works on conventional lines to integrate them with HS2