Consents and Powers
The Consents and Powers theme covers the processes associated with achieving authority to initiate and deliver the project such as parliamentary bills, town planning, statutory powers, and environmental and traffic consents.
Consents and Powers Resources
Resources include papers, videos, research summaries and good practice documents produced by authors from across the HS2 Family to capture learning, good practice and innovation from the HS2 programme
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HS2 Woodland Trust Engagement Portal – Enabling effective and efficient stakeholder engagement
Undertakings and Assurances (U&As) on Phase One of the High Speed Two (HS2) project requires HS2 to engage with the Woodland Trust for works within, or within 100m of, an ancient woodland. HS2, in collaboration with contractors, third-party organisations and the Woodland Trust, have produced a web-based GIS portal for all contractors and third-party organisations…
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Consents – small steps, big change
At the start of the High Speed Two (HS2) Enabling Works Contract (EWC), there was a requirement to swiftly instruct consultants to gain consents, expediting the priority works. A desire to upskill people, leave a legacy for Costain Skanska joint venture (CSjv) and provide value for money for HS2 were the drivers to create an…
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HS2 railway, UK – the parliamentary process to Royal Assent
The parliamentary process for a hybrid bill incorporates aspects of both public and private bill procedures. The key differences from the process followed by normal government (i.e. public) legislation are a consultation on the environmental statement and select committee (SC) stages in both the House of Commons and the House of Lords. For the bulk…
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HS2 railway, UK – route development to hybrid bill: a collaborative approach
In January 2012 the UK government announced that powers would be sought for a London-to-West Midlands high-speed rail line based on a refined version of a 220 km route that was consulted upon in 2011. At the same time, High Speed Two (HS2) Ltd, the agency responsible for implementing the project, appointed a development partner for…
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HS2 railway, UK – route development to hybrid bill: consultation
Since 2009 the promoter of the UK's High Speed Two (HS2) railway has listened to others’ views on development of the first London-to-West Midlands phase. Initial scheme development required time to think and determine the best response to the remit, working in confidence with key stakeholders. Through the early part of 2011 a major national…
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HS2 railway, UK: route optioneering
The company HS2 Ltd was set up by the UK government in January 2009 with an initial brief to report on options for High Speed Two, a high-speed railway between London and the West Midlands. This was to include access to London and Birmingham city centres, but with the potential for future extension northwards. Options…
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HS2 Railway, UK – route development to hybrid Bill: Technical and operational requirements
The hybrid Bill for the first phase of the UK's High Speed Two high-speed railway (London to West Midlands) was submitted in November 2013. This paper outlines the general principles and processes developed for the engineering design over a 22-month period that supported the Phase One HS2 hybrid Bill. The engineering design and construction planning…
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HS2 railway, UK – why the country needs it
High Speed Two (HS2) will be the new backbone of the UK rail network, connecting eight out of ten of the largest cities. Cities are drivers of economic growth, but those in the Midlands and the North are held back by poor connectivity. HS2 will help to rebalance the economy. Demand for rail travel has…
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Technical evidence for a non-technical audience
This paper shares experience of technical evidence production as part of the High Speed Two (HS2) Phase 2a project, which led to successful outcomes for the Promoter at House of Commons Select Committee petition hearings. The learning and observations contained within will be relevant to any projects implementing hybrid Bills but also more generally by…
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Great crested newt licensing for major infrastructure projects: shifting the paradigm
Protected species constraints are an early consideration for nearly every development project, and where impacts cannot be avoided mitigation licensing is a legal requirement. High Speed Two (HS2) Ltd are the licensee for a great crested newt organisational licence, as part of the Phase One works; the largest such licence ever issued by the regulator…
