Category Archives: News

Hillingdon and HS2: Updates

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If you ever need the Council’s public low-down on HS2 please go to:

http://www.hillingdon.gov.uk/article/23081/High-speed-rail-updates

 

PS (next day) If you f0llowed the above link, you’d know that the HS2/LBH Agreement was signed off on 17th August and has now been published on line.

If you didn’t follow the link, it is 79 pages in length and to summarise:

  • It is now a legal agreement that both parties are obliged to implement to the best of their abilities.
  • Everything we expected is included and in the circumstances, it is as good as we could have expected.
  • There is a lot that is caveated by being subject to “reasonable endeavours” and that the real impacts will depend on HS2’s commitment (and the Contractors) to doing things properly rather than just cheaply or through expedience.
  • There will be a lot of onus on the residents and the Council to hold HS2 to account and push them for the best implementations in the interest of the community.
  • There are risks associated with the agreement on HOAC, but the Council appears to have that under control.

We have approached Nick Hurd and he has given us his whole hearted support in our need to improve the unsatisfactory situation with the HS2 Community Engagement Team (CET). He has obtained a commitment from HS2 to improve many aspects of the CET’s performance and we await the outcome of those actions.

We will keep you up to date with developments via the Ickenham Residents’ Association web site, but there is no scope for change to the Agreement now it has been signed off.

Air Quality and HS2

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A note from HS2:

Please see Information Paper E31, which outlines the commitments HS2 has given to manage the potential impacts of the scheme on air quality. Air quality is being monitored along the line of route.  This will include monitoring nitrogen dioxide around highways used by construction traffic and construction dust around areas of construction works.   Both of these types of monitoring will be undertaken in the LB Hillingdon. We are currently in discussion with Hillingdon Council to agree locations.

Further details on HS2’s commitments to data sharing are given in section 4.3 of the Code of Construction Practice

Gas main diversions in the Harefield and Ickenham area

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We have been informed of proposed works in the Harvil Road area. Below is the letter received by residents close to the works. As it involves temporary traffic lights in Harvil Road, we thought you should be made aware of this.

Dear Resident,

I would like to let you know about some work that will be carried out over the coming months in your area ahead of construction of the new railway, High Speed 2 (HS2). To allow construction of the new railway, we need to move an underground gas pipeline.
To do this, we will be installing a new pipeline from south of the existing Chiltern Mainline (‘southern shaft’) to join the existing pipeline to the south-east of the Dogs Trust on Harvil Road (‘northern shaft’). The pipeline is an important supply for London and we need to carry out this diversion to continue to ensure a safe and reliable gas supply to the area. While we do not anticipate these works to cause any major disruption or for there to be any effect on local gas supply, we recognise the disturbance this work can create and apologise in advance.

The work will be carried out as follows:

1.In mid-August 2017 HS2’s Contractors, will be undertaking works to prepare for installing thepipeline. This will include vegetation clearance and archaeological works.

2.Murphy, a contractor working on behalf of Cadent Gas who owns the pipeline, will start work on installing the pipeline in late August 2017. The work is expected to be completed by autumn 2018.

Most of the work involves boring underground although some equipment will be visible from Harvil Road. While the tunnel boring machine is operating, we may need to work 24-hours a day. However, as this work is underground we do not anticipate any noise or disruption for local people, although you may notice people on-site during the night or in the early hours of the morning.

Any works that do not involve tunnelling will be carried out in our core working hours; between 8am and 6pm on weekdays with a period of up to one hour before for start-up activities and one hour after for close-down activities such as deliveries, unloading and maintenance. The start-up and close-down periods will not include the operation of any plant or machinery likely to cause disturbance to local residents or businesses.

We’ll be setting up a construction site off Harvil Road, across from Harefield Oil Terminal. All of our site, equipment and work will be taking place within HS2 land. To ensure the safety of road users and our engineers, we will be installing temporary traffic lights near to the site office on Harvil Road. We’ll only need to use these during our working hours and when our contractors need to access the site. We apologise for any disruption this causes.

If you have any queries, please contact HS2 on 08081 434 434 or email hs2enquiries@hs2.org.uk
Patricia Thompson
Senior Engagement Manager
High Speed Two (HS2) Limited