{"id":519268,"date":"2025-04-24T12:51:09","date_gmt":"2025-04-24T11:51:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.constructionnews.co.uk\/?p=519268"},"modified":"2025-04-24T12:51:09","modified_gmt":"2025-04-24T11:51:09","slug":"hs2-commissioners-demand-clarity-on-unclear-and-undefined-euston-plans","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.constructionnews.co.uk\/civils\/hs2\/hs2-commissioners-demand-clarity-on-unclear-and-undefined-euston-plans-24-04-2025\/","title":{"rendered":"HS2 commissioners demand clarity on \u2018unclear and undefined\u2019 Euston plans"},"content":{"rendered":"

Plans to complete HS2 at Euston remain \u201ca good way off\u201d and a swift resolution for the site needs to be reached urgently, the rail body\u2019s two commissioners have said.<\/p>\n

HS2\u2019s independent residents\u2019 commissioner Stewart Jackson said the plans for HS2\u2019s London terminus remained \u201cunclear and undefined\u201d.<\/p>\n

In their latest report, published on today (24 April), Jackson and Mike Worthington, the rail body\u2019s independent construction commissioner, called for clarity on the plans.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe remain a good way off having a clear outline for the new terminus at Euston,\u201d Worthington said.<\/p>\n

\u201cInevitably, this will cause more uncertainty and distress for local residents. I hope that all parties involved in the decision-making process will focus upon this as quickly as they can.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Labour government confirmed in October that HS2 will run to Euston, but it remained tight-lipped on any plans to pay<\/a> for the rail terminus with public money. No announcements on funding have been made since.<\/p>\n

\u201cDespite a commitment for funding via a third party development body and support for and confirmation that in last year\u2019s Autumn Statement that HS2 would terminate at Euston, there is little clarity on timescale or budgets or a clear plan to fund the \u00a36bn extension,\u201d Jackson said.<\/p>\n

Two tunnel vent shafts have also been on hold since October 2023, despite a go-ahead to start on tunnelling between Old Oak Common and Euston Station. Worthington confirmed that there \u201cis no firm plan to complete the works\u201d at either Canterbury Road or Adelaide Road.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis may provide a welcome, temporary respite for local residents but [\u2026] it adds to the uncertainty and lengthens the time that the community will be impacted,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n

Initially, HS2 will run to Old Oak Common, and at a later date run to the Euston terminus.<\/p>\n

Worthington also called on Buckinghamshire Council to \u201creflect on matters\u201d concerning an underground spring chamber and ditch, which was refused planning permission<\/a> last week.<\/p>\n

HS2<\/a> has already warned that the decision to block it from completing the work could push up its costs by tens of millions of pounds, as it will not be able to move forward with plans to build the Wendover Green Tunnel project.<\/p>\n

The planning application included an upgrade to a crucial farm lane in Wendover. The Environment Agency had requested that HS2 build the spring chamber to mitigate \u201csevere environmental impacts\u201d relating to groundwater flow.<\/p>\n

In the report, Worthington said he had \u201csome sympathy with local residents but [\u2026] would urge the community, officials and politicians to reflect on matters\u201d.<\/p>\n

\u201cI have worked closely with HS2 Ltd as they have reviewed and adapted their plans and as they considered the alternatives, almost all of which are impractical and far from cost-effective,\u201d he said, adding that HS2 had \u201cgone a long way\u201d to minimise its impact on the local area.<\/p>\n

Worthington added that \u201ctime costs money\u201d in major construction projects like HS2.<\/p>\n

\u201cDelay in obtaining consent could result in significant changes to the wider construction timetable for the area as well as considerable extra costs,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

\u201cLocals need to weigh up whether it is better to have a short, managed impact or more major delay which will extend the overall impact on Wendover and other communities, beyond what is necessary for the current build.\u201d<\/p>\n

A spokesperson for HS2 Ltd said its chief executive Mark Wild was resetting HS2 to deliver the railway at \u201cthe lowest feasible cost\u201d to operate within its annual budgets.<\/p>\n

\u201cAs part of this process HS2 has rescheduled some works from 2025, with lower impact on the initial phase between Old Oak Common and Birmingham,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

\u201cConstruction on associated works including the tunnel shafts, headhouses and station approaches will start at a later date.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Plans to complete HS2 at Euston remain \u201ca good way off\u201d and a swift resolution for the site needs to be reached urgently, the rail body\u2019s two commissioners have said. HS2\u2019s independent residents\u2019 commissioner Stewart Jackson said the plans for HS2\u2019s London terminus remained \u201cunclear and undefined\u201d. In their latest report, published on today (24 …<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":90643,"featured_media":487268,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"ep_exclude_from_search":false},"categories":[39314],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n