News on HS2 in Staffs

On 23 June 2020 the Secretary of State for Transport issued updated safeguarding directions for the whole of the Phase 2a route , which will run between the West Midlands and Crewe. These were formally announced in Parliament by the HS2 Minister, Andrew Stephenson MP .

In order to protect the land needed to build High Speed Two, the Secretary of State for Transport issues ‘Safeguarding Directions’ to local planning authorities. This means that HS2 Ltd must be consulted on any planning applications within the safeguarded area.

These safeguarding directions reflect the amendments (and therefore land requirements) that have been made to the hybrid Bill by the House of Commons as it passed through the Select Committee.

Through these revised safeguarding directions, the government has protected land that is anticipated at this stage will be needed to build Phase 2a of HS2 and where there may otherwise be a risk of conflicting development.

The new Safeguarding Directions supersede those issued in September 2017.

We have written to landowners on the Phase 2a route who are affected by these changes to let them know what’s happened, what it will mean for them and what they can do.

More information about safeguarding – including the new safeguarding maps for Phase 2a – can be found on the GOV.UK website .

If you have any questions about safeguarding for Phase 2a or the wider HS2 programme please contact our HS2 Helpdesk team on 08081 434 434 or email hs2enquiries@hs2.org.uk.