Agenda item

The Committee will receive an update on the HS2 project in Buckinghamshire.

Contributors:

HS2

David Emms, HS2 Project Client Director

Gary Moreira, HS2 Senior Traffic Manager

Alasdair Hassan, HS2 Head of Engineering and Environment

Simon Matthews, EKFB Interface and Stakeholder Director

Joel Sykes, HS2 Senior Engagement and Interface Lead

Patrick Kelly, Buckinghamshire Lead

Andrea Davidson, HS2 Head of Environmental Sciences

Aaron Heer, HS2 Traffic Manager

Ed Warner, Align Head of Environment and Sustainability

Environment Agency

Matthew Wales, Project Manager Phase 1 and Permitting lead – HS2

Daniel Clancy, Flood Risk Specialist – HS2

Buckinghamshire Council

Cllr Steve Broadbent, Cabinet Member for Transport

Cllr Peter Martin, Deputy Cabinet Member for Transport (HS2 and EWR)

Steve Bambrick, Service Director for Planning & Environment

Dr Laura Leech, Head of Major Projects

The Chairman welcomed representatives from HS2 Ltd and Matthew Wales from the Environment Agency to the meeting and invited the Cabinet Member for Transport, Councillor S Broadbent, and the Deputy Cabinet Member for Transport, Councillor P Martin to introduce the officer report. The HS2 project continued to have a significant impact in Buckinghamshire and the Council worked to mitigate the project’s impact by holding HS2 Ltd to account on its activities. In the last 12 months, there had been a significant increase in works as the project entered the first of its envisaged three-year peak. The Cabinet Member highlighted the project’s effect on the Highways asset, notably through diversionary routes and HGV movements which had caused deterioration of roads. The Council had been able to access an annual HS2 pothole fund of £93,000 however it was felt this value was insufficient. Additionally, the Council was required to bid for extra funds for road repairs which had been a protracted process; one example being King’s Lane which was unresolved one-year after the Council’s bid. Nonetheless, dialogue had improved recently which the Cabinet Member welcomed.

The Cabinet Member highlighted the importance of preventative works to ensure that roads did not deteriorate so that road closures caused by safety concerns could be avoided; a recent example was the five-week closure of Station Road, Quainton, around Christmas 2022. The Cabinet Member was optimistic through his upcoming attendance at a roundtable discussion with Ministers and the Department for Transport in Parliament on 24 April and would continue to reiterate the project’s impacts on Buckinghamshire residents and businesses.

The Cabinet Member highlighted the importance of collaborative and open working on issues such as flooding which required information from HS2 e.g. works to woodlands and hedgerows and flooding impacts. It was acknowledged that positive steps had been taken to reduce HGV movements through the use of rail access and the A413 conveyor which was welcomed.

The Deputy Cabinet Member for Transport, Councillor P Martin, underpinned the importance of collaborative working and planning applications. The Council found it challenging to make timely decisions on planning applications due to a lack of supporting information. Monthly meetings on forthcoming applications had been helpful however these were now three-monthly. The last planning application was received on 6 January and Deputy Cabinet Member was concerned that the planning service would receive an influx of applications for urgent decisions.

The Chairman invited David Emms, Aaron Heer and Alasdair Hassan to give their presentation to the Committee. Prior to the presentation, David Emms acknowledged the importance of the A413 to Buckinghamshire residents and that whilst there was collaborative working with the Council, elements of it could be improved. The following points were noted during HS2 Ltd’s presentation:

·       Align was responsible for the Colne Valley Viaduct and the Western Valley Slopes, HS2’s Chiltern Tunnel, five shafts along the route of the tunnel and the north portal of the tunnel (located near Great Missenden). EKFB was responsible for HS2 between Great Missenden and Turweston which included key design features such as Wendover Green Tunnel and Small Dean/Wendover Dean viaducts, interfacing with EWR and the Stoke Mandeville Relief Road.

·       All shafts had been excavated to their full depth with earthworks and concreting completed. The Little Missenden shaft was currently being waterproofed. At Amersham, Schedule 17 was now in place for the headhouse which would feature a flint wall.

·       The 10km-deep tunnel boring machines had now passed Amersham. Access for materials in and out was through the portal located inside the M25.

·       A 600m section of the Colne Valley viaduct had now been completed which passed over the A412. This had involved two months of night closures which had been well co-ordinated with the Local Authority.

·       Around 70km of internal site access roads had been completed in Buckinghamshire and utility diversions were underway.

·       The cumulative effect of the HS2 and EWR projects on communities was recognised. HS2 Ltd had developed tools to help communicate following feedback from community engagement activities. Examples included detailed lorry movement figures, video route mapping with annotations, road closures and diversions, and the mobile visitor centre.

·       The primary remit of the Traffic Team was to facilitate construction with the least possible impact to the Highways network. Under Schedule 4 Part 2 Consents, which referred to temporary Highway interference, there were currently 206 live and planned consents on the county’s network with only around 50% impacting the roads.

·       The Traffic Liaison Group (TLG) met monthly with Council officers, emergency services and neighbouring Local Authorities. Teams were embedded to engage with community groups and forums regularly.

·       EWR shared their programme of works with HS2 weekly which HS2 imported into their mapping system for clash detection and forward planning.

·       The Road Safety Fund had allocated Buckinghamshire £3.95m which would be allocated by tranches up to 2026; 17 road safety schemes had been approved for delivery since the first tranche launched in 2021.

·       The pothole fund of around £98,000 was designed to be quick access for the Council to drawdown funds for repairs related to HS2 construction traffic. Under a Highway Damage Claim the Council could apply for contributions towards specific maintenance treatment due to HGV traffic which was assessed in-part by the vehicle management system that analysed traffic data. Examples of contribution to schemes included 31% contribution for the reconstruction of A40/A412 junction in Denham and 100% of £280,000 resurfacing scheme of Quainton Road. Other schemes included Moorfield Road (circa £180,000 from Align) and Station Road (circa £160,000 from EKFB).

·       Fortnightly meetings with Council officers took place to specifically consider damage to Highways. A pilot scheme was under discussion to consider preventative maintenance, which would be a first for the project, following instances of road failures.

·       HS2 monitored its baseline traffic count along the A41 and A413, noting that it was a small percentage of total traffic.

·       The Quainton Railhead gave the ability to deliver 3m tonnes of aggregate into site by rail which would have been equivalent to 300,000 HGV movements up to 2025. In the past two years, over 800 trains delivered 1.4m tonnes of which prevented an estimated 13,100 tonnes of CO₂ in Buckinghamshire.

·       The Engineering and Environment Team held designers and contractors to account on the quality of submitted designs towards the project’s sustainability vision.

·       HS2 had a Net Zero Carbon Plan which aimed to be net zero carbon by 2035 and carbon-free construction by 2029. In 2022, the project had:

o   Achieved Carbon Literacy Project silver accreditation

o   Adopted science-based targets

o   Had the first diesel-free HS2 construction site (19 across the project)

o   Integrated carbon performance into supplier relationship management scorecards

·       EKFB’s carbon footprint was estimated to be 2,216,111 tCO₂e which was a 23% decrease compared to the baseline. Key carbon hotspots included materials (42%), construction activities (23%) and transport (22%).

·       Designs of tunnels and pre-cast segments had been optimised to reduce the volume of materials required. Action towards carbon reduction on sites included use of renewable energy, switching from diesel to HVO biofuel and railhead transport.

·       Calcareous grasslands were planned on the south portal construction site in future with the planting of 65,000 trees and around 3.5km of hedgerows. It was estimated this would provide a localised biodiversity net gain and carbon sequestration of 52,000 tonnes of CO₂.

·       Across Phase 1, 845,000 trees had been planted and 15ha of ancient woodland had been translocated. Grassland translocation had been carried out at Grendon and Doddershall Meadows Local Wildlife site.

·       32 wildlife sites had been created in Buckinghamshire and 66 new ponds were planned in the county. A Sheephouse Wood Bat structure was being introduced near Calvert to protect the Bechstein bat and flight lines around Bernwood Forest. Construction had also commenced on multiple green overbridges.

·       The majority of tree removals had taken place in Buckinghamshire. Enabling Works Contractors had planted 230,000 trees in mitigation sites, Align would plant 85,000 trees and plants and EKFB planned to plant 2.25m trees and plants.

·       The HS2 Woodland Fund had provided grant funding to help landowners restore Plantations on Ancient Woodland Sites (PAWS) and create new native woodland.

·       Flood risk received early consideration through specialist input at all stages of design development. HS2 continued engaging with the Environment Agency and Lead Local Flood Authorities for consents.

Following the presentation, Mathew Wales, Environment Agency, outlined his team’s role in relation to HS2 consents and compliance in Phase 1 (Schedule 33). Flood risks were considered along main rivers water courses, groundwater impacts and water quality. Meetings took place with the Council monthly to ensure collaborative working and ensure no cross-over on responsibilities.

The following points were noted during the Committee’s discussion:

·       One non-Committee Member attended to question HS2 regarding the impact of the construction of the Wendover Green Tunnel and associated works on the Chiltern aquifer. There were a number of concerns in the Wendover area on consequential impacts such as increased water flow in Stoke Brook, drying up of Hampden Pond and decreased water flow to the Weston Turville Reservoir and the Wendover arm of the Grand Union Canal. In response, HS2 advised that:

o   Planning applications had been made under Section 17 and further approvals were necessary under Schedule 33 of the HS2 Act to address impacts on waterbodies. Groundwater around Wendover and its flow towards Aylesbury was complex and the EA had been engaged in an updated groundwater model of the green tunnel and the north cutting in the Special Scientific Interest (SSI) area.

o   The EA had been consulted during the development of a water framework directive assessment and was now being reviewed by the EA. The assessment found that flow to Stoke Brook would be minimal and would be mitigated through SuDS, and that the flow impact to the Wendover arm would also be minimal.

o   Hampden Pond had been investigated three years ago by HS2 with the Parish Council and found there was little impact caused by the works as the pond was fed by a spring from groundwater.

o   Monitoring would ensure that the assessment was adhered to which was part of the EA’s role. Subject to EA’s consent, excavations were planned this year and HS2 were confident in the model.

o   An engagement plan was developed around stakeholders interested in groundwater around Wendover, including residents, Members and community groups, who would be informed as works progressed. Stakeholders would also be updated on groundwater monitoring.

o   A more detail answer would be circulated and appended to the minutes.

Action: Simon Matthews - EKFB

·       Numerous Members had experienced the increase in HGV movements on Buckinghamshire Highways and noted instances of poor driver behaviour (e.g. extended engine idling in laybys, ignoring compound access turn instructions, not following correct routes or displaying HS2 signage in the cabin when on non-HS2 business). HS2 outlined its expectations of driver behaviour and being a ‘good neighbour’ and worked closely with Tier 1 and 2 contractors to ensure compliance. Cascading the expectations to Tier 3, 4 and 5 contractors had taken longer and there had been instances of drivers and contractors being removed from the project based on their behaviour. All instances of poor driver behaviour, including engine idling and parking in laybys, should be reported to the HS2 helpdesk for further investigation.

·       Members noted the intentions outlined by the senior leadership team on contractor and driver behaviour but felt there may be a disconnect between this intention and the day-to-day reality in and around site compounds. HS2 felt this had improved and did inspect compounds for compliance but appreciated there was more to be done.

·       A number of Members felt that the £98,000 pothole fund was not enough, with one Member noting his ward alone had a pothole top-up amount of £60,000. Additionally, the pothole fund should be re-adjusted to account for inflation and increased cost of materials given its value was set 1.5-2 years ago. Members also noted a disparity of figures reported on the pothole fund (£93,000 vs £98,000) and suggested this be clarified between the Council and HS2 as soon as possible. HS2 acknowledged that while the fund may seem small, it was designed for swift interventions caused by HGV traffic and that a separate process was in place to access more extensive funds for resurfacing.

·       Members commented that it would have been beneficial to receive a copy of the presentation in advance due to the amount of information it contained. This would be taken into account for next year’s meeting.

·       Extensive repairs to the A41 heading into the county near Westcott had been required. One Member attributed this to the loaded HS2 HGVs as the opposite carriageway had not needed repairs. The A41 may be suitable for the proposed preventive pilot and the independent HS2 road network had helped alleviate pressure.

·       Figures on tree survival and re-planting would be investigated. The dry summers had caused some dieback and re-planting activity in the spring, and HS2 reiterated their commitment to returning the environment post-construction.

Action: Alasdair Hassan - HS2

·       An updated figure on trees removed since last year would be circulated to the Committee.

Action: Simon Matthews - EKFB

·       Of the trees left to be removed, opportunities would be considered in their relocation rather than felling however a commitment could not be provided on this.

·       There was an example of four road closure permits on Quainton Road that had all subsequently been cancelled and Members reiterated the importance of traffic management to residents. HS2 had been disappointed in these cancellations and explained this had been caused by non-contestable utility works by the Statutory Undertaker. The Chairman suggested HS2 advise local Members on road closures and cancellations so that accurate information could be circulated to local communities. Another Member suggested HS2 expand their communication of road closures to neighbouring wards and parishes. Communication beyond the line of routes was raised at the Communities & Localism Select Committee in January 2023, and one of the actions was to work with the Deputy Cabinet Member for Transport to improve this.

·       HS2 had a significant network of temporary drainage and water management systems on site which can be seen in aerial footage: https://vimeo.com/747836661/7836b9194d Further information specific to the River Great Ouse catchment would be provided outside the meeting.

Action: Simon Matthews - EKFB

·       The Calvert Infrastructure Maintenance Depot (IMD) Schedule 17 had been submitted last year and was under discussion with the Council’s Planning service. One Member requested a more detailed update on the Calvert IMD. 

Action: Simon Matthews - EKFB

·       The Council decided on allocation of the £4m road safety fund through submissions to HS2 for review; it was noted that all submissions to date had been approved. HS2 would investigate and advise on funds spent on their site access roads but did note this was an investment to alleviate pressure on Council highways.

Action: Aaron Heer – HS2

·       Spoil from the tunnel was designed to be deposited around the north portal valley slopes to achieve biodiversity gain. Material re-use was planned in situ across the length of the route via cutting arisings, forming embankments and earth bunding. One of the current challenges was ensuring material was moved once only. Additionally, discussions were ongoing on the use of some materials from HS2 being utilised by Council contractors during construction of the South East Aylesbury Link Road.

·       EWR attended the monthly TLG meetings which included information on forthcoming works and forward plans.

·       A number of examples were given on use of the HS2 Woodland Fund to support ancient woodland sites and combined sites.

·       Recent announcements about re-phasing of works meant HS2 needed to look at delivering the project with its budget however the impact within Buckinghamshire was expected to be minimal.

·       In response to safety concerns raised by the Chiltern Society, HS2 advised that the Chiltern Tunnel would have two bores with cross-passages every 500m as well as intervention shafts along the length of the route. The use of a third bore was for tunnels without surface access (e.g. under mountains or seas).

The Chairman reiterated the great concern and interest that all Members and residents have in the HS2 project and its impact in Buckinghamshire, and hoped that the issues raised would be noted by HS2 Ltd. As this was the principal Select Committee where HS2 attended annually, consideration would be given to the March 2024 meeting being a single item on the project. The Chairman thanked all representatives from HS2 for attending and advised that a follow-up letter would be drafted in due course.