Phase 2a Consultation Report - Update 2024

In early November 2023, the Government announced the cancellation of Phase Two of the railway. At that point they advised that they would not be accepting any more applications for the community and business funds (CEF and BLEF). 

Since then, HS2 Ltd have continued to plan the remediation and close down of Phase 2a and below are the updates so far.
Safeguarding 
On 18 January, the Government announced that safeguarding of land and property across the majority of Phase 2a had been removed. In areas where safeguarding has been removed, property owners will no longer be eligible to apply for HS2 property schemes, unless they can demonstrate a compelling reason to sell through the NTS (Need to Sell) scheme.
Safeguarding will remain on land south of King’s Bromley and Handsacre to allow Phase One of HS2 to connect to the West Coast Main Line. The latest position is that HS2 Ltd are now working with the Department for Transport (DfT) and Government to agree what the design at Handsacre needs to be and this will determine what land is needed; until that is done, they need to continue to safeguard all land required for the current design.
At this stage, we don't have any indication as to when Government will make a decision about this. 

Acquired land and property  
Prior to the Government announcement in October 2023, HS2 Ltd had possessed around 60% of the land that would have been needed for the construction of Phase 2a of HS2. 

HS2 Ltd are currently working with DfT to develop a programme for handing back temporarily possessed land and for selling land acquired for HS2 that is no longer needed. This will take time because they need to make sure the programme provides value for money for taxpayers and does not disrupt local property markets. No land or property has been or will be sold on Phase 2a until the programme has been fully developed. 

Where any land has been acquired compulsorily for HS2, and is no longer required for the railway, it will be sold subject to what are known as the Crichel Down Rules. Where the Crichel Down Rules apply, former owners will, in most cases, be given first opportunity to repurchase the land at the current market value. Further details on Crichel Down Rules can be found here: http://www.gov.uk/guidance/crichel-down-rules-on-land-ownership 

Construction sites 
There are a number of factors that need to be considered when it comes to closing down Phase 2a in a safe, respectful, orderly and efficient manner. The sites this affects includes:  

Ground investigation sites – boreholes 
To inform the railway design, HS2 Ltd undertook over 1,000 investigatory boreholes along the Phase 2a route. The 2a project team is now developing a programme to restore the land at these locations so it is safe for the landowner to use. The work on site is expected to start towards the end of the year, with completion in summer 2026.  

Environmental mitigation sites 
As part of our early works programme, preparing the route for main civils construction, HS2 Ltd started to create environmental mitigation sites along the Phase 2a route. Of the proposed 70 sites along the route, at the time of the cancellation of Phase Two, they had completed 46 of these sites. At the remaining 24 locations, the sites had either not been completed or was yet to be started.  

Utilities sites 
HS2 Ltd are in the process of revisiting sites where gas pipelines have been diverted for building the railway. This is to allow the utility contractors future access to the pipeline for testing, maintenance and monitoring purposes. Over the coming months you may therefore see the contractors at these sites digging trenches, laying cables and relocating test posts. The work they will be undertaking will be low level and none of the activity will affect gas supplies. Further activity at these sites include the removal of compounds, haul roads, fencing and re-instatement of features. We expect this work to be completed in early 2026. 

Cash’s Pit  
In 2022, HS2 Ltd successfully removed trespassers from tunnels and camps in woodlands at Cash’s Pit and Closepit Plantation, near Swynnerton. Cash’s Pit woodland will require careful restoration to ensure it is in a safe condition, suitable to be handed back to the landowner. The design for this work is complex, but we expect the work to start in May 2025, with completion around the end of the year. 

Undertakings and Assurances (U&As) 
In addition to planning for the remediation of numerous sites across the Phase 2a route, HS2 Ltd are also reviewing all 1,854 U&As secured through the Phase 2a Parliamentary process to assess which are still applicable and which are not, following the Government announcement last year. While some of these are relatively straightforward, there are many with complex aspects that require more detailed scrutiny.  

Contractors in the area – maintenance and security
Across the Phase 2a route, you will continue to see HS2 Ltd contractors carrying out work. This includes work on existing sites, for the ongoing maintenance of a site, or for health, safety and security reasons. 

For the security of the worksites and managed property portfolio, HS2 Ltd uses a security contractor to provide a range of measures to keep both residential and commercial property safe and secure. This includes a 24-hour response service, fortnightly inspections and the provision, where required, of advanced security installations. They put these measures in place to help prevent unauthorised occupation and help local residents to feel safe. The Phase 2a Route-wide injunction is also likely to stay in place as an ongoing security measure to protect land in our possession from unauthorised activity.  

Future engagement​ with communities 
The Community Engagement team will remain your point of contact. We will keep you informed in various ways, such as through local authority and parish council briefings, newsletters, email updates and webinars.  
We will continue to let those who may be affected by our work know through Advanced Works Notifications and through future updates to our dedicated local community webpages at www.hs2.org.uk/in-your-area. 

As always, you can also contact the HS2 Helpdesk, available all day, every day. The Helpline is available at HS2enquiries@hs2.org.uk and telephone 08081 434 434. A Freephone Minicom service is operated on 08081 456 472 for those with hearing difficulties.  

Statement from Andrew Stephenson, HS2 Minister, Thursday 13th May 2021

"I am today, 13 May 2021, publishing a consultation report as required under section 60(1) of the High Speed Rail (West Midlands - Crewe) Act 2021. The report summarises the responses to the HS2 Phase 2a local consultation held between
1 February and 26 February 2021 and has been prepared by the independent research company, Ipsos MORI. I am placing copies of the report in the libraries of both Houses.

I am carefully considering the report and will publish the Government response to its findings in June."

For the full report summarising the consultation responses click here and scroll to the bottom of the page.

For the full Government Response to the report, released June 2021 see the documents listed below.

Woore Parish Community Meeting

Woore Parish Action Group, with the support of Woore Parish Council, invited all residents of Woore Parish (including Woore, Pipe Gate, Gravenhunger, Dorrington, Ireland’s Cross, Bearstone and part of Onneley), to attend a remote meeting held Thursday 18th February 2021, 7.00pm. 

The meeting aimed to provide residents with information regarding the HS2 Phase 2a Consultation process and support with completing the response forms sent to all homes within the Parish during the first week of February. 

The meeting was held using Zoom due to current restrictions.  

Slides from the meeting are available below, along with a live recording of the presentation and Q&A session.   

**Video begins from slide 5 due to technical difficulties. 

Need to Sell Scheme

During the meeting Q&A session, several residents raised questions regarding the HS2 Need to Sell Scheme. This scheme is only applicable to owners of properties in Woore Parish and subject to various criteria. A document containing further information is available below. 

For support with the Need to Sell Scheme, please email nts@hs2.org.uk, or alternatively contact Joe Wilson, Community Engagement Manager, Phase 2a, HS2 Ltd  via email at joe.wilson@hs2.org.uk.

The HS2 Helpdesk team are available all day by calling Freephone 08081 434 434 or emailing hs2enquiries@hs2.org.uk 

It is important that residents consider the following;

• They need to be owner occupiers
• They need to be able to demonstrate reasonable endeavours to sell within the last 3 months
• They must have a compelling need to sell, and be able to provide evidence to support that need

The Compulsory Purchase & Blight Schemes are not applicable to Woore Parish residents as the Parish falls outside of the radius for proximity to the railway line. The attachment below contains further information on the scheme.  

Responding to the consultation 

Any resident seeking further guidance on how to complete their consultation form can view the content of the Woore Parish Council response (available below).  The content of this document forms the basis of Woore Parish Council’s response to the Consultation. Residents are welcome to use all/part of this information in their individual responses to the consultation.

Priority has been given to Question A of the consultation form. Residents are welcome to complete all sections if they so wish.

Help

If any resident requires assistance with the completion/submission of the consultation form, please feel free to contact clerk@wooreparishcouncil.org or call (t) 01630 647853. Visit www.wooreparishcounicl.org for all HS2 updates and background information.