HS2 Phase 2b working draft Environmental Statement

Parliamentary Standing Orders require an Environmental Statement (ES) to be submitted alongside the bill. In advance of the formal submission we have developed a working draft ES, which presents draft environmental information.

This video explains more about the working draft Environmental Statement

The working draft ES describes the likely environmental impacts of building and operating Phase 2b of HS2; as well as proposed ways to avoid, reduce, mitigate and monitor the effects. It is based on a point-in-time assessment in the ongoing development of Phase 2b. Feedback will be taken into consideration as we further develop of our proposals and a final ES will be submitted to Parliament alongside the hybrid Bill.

We would like to hear your views on the working draft ES. To view the relevant documents please visit the Phase 2b working draft ES collection page.

Responses to the consultation will be considered as the design and assessment is developed and during the production of the ES for deposit in Parliament as part of the hybrid Bill.

In July 2017, the Secretary of State for Transport confirmed the preferred route for the next phase of HS2 from Crewe to Manchester and the West Midlands to Leeds (known as Phase 2b). To obtain the legal powers to build and operate this part of the railway, the government intends to deposit a hybrid Bill in Parliament in mid-2020.

Working draft Equality Impact Assessment Report

We also consulted on a working draft Equality Impact Assessment Report alongside the consultation on the working draft ES.

Events

From October to December 2018, we held a series of public information events to support the consultations.