High Speed Rail Bill Select Committee: Statement by Chair on HS2 Environmental Statement and local planning policy
11 December 2014
1. CHAIR: Order, order. Welcome to the HS2 Committee for another session of petitions. Before that I have a few comments to make on Committee announcements.
On the Environmental Statement, we found the session with Warwickshire County Council very useful in clarifying expectations and allowing certain helpful explanations and positions to be put on record. We are grateful for the written submission we requested from HS2 Action Alliance, for which it appears that noise is a major item of concern. We expect that HS2 Action Alliance want to monitor what the lead authority says on noise before we hear from them over the coming weeks. If at that point they have additional evidence to submit, which has not been covered by the local authority, they should indicate what the relevant facts are in writing so that we can determine how to proceed.
Also on noise we encourage petitioners to make use of evidence on noise effects from HS1 including by copying us in visiting sites and tunnels.
2. On the matter of local planning policy as it impacts people affected by the line who want to rebuild without HS2 having to demolish their homes, as is the case with the Sadlers, we have written to the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government and will report back the outcome. We may also wish to invite Lichfield District Council to come and talk to us about the Sadlers if a suitable resolution remains difficult.