Posted 14th March 2014 | 7 Comments
Now four big regeneration projects are linked to HS2
A SMALL ceremony today in a Midlands barn means that David Higgins can publish his report on how to proceed with HS2 knowing that there are now firm plans for major regeneration projects around the HS2 stations planned at Euston, Old Oak Common, near Birmingham Airport, and in Birmingham city centre.
At Park Farm Barn, Meriden – part of Packington Estate, owned by Lord Aylesford – representatives of four land owners agreed today to work together for development of the new HS2 Interchange station and Solihull Metropolitan Borough Council’s ‘UK Central’ master plan – near the National Exhibition Centre, Birmingham Airport and the existing Birmingham International station.
According to the Greater Birmingham and Solihull Local Enterprise Partnership, UK Central “could create 100,000 jobs and boost GDP by as much as £19.5 billion.”
Earlier this week there was confirmation that London Mayor Boris Johnson is backing plans to create 24,000 new homes and more than 55,000 jobs at Old Oak Common.
This followed last week’s announcement by the principal landowner around Euston, Sydney & London Properties, of proposals for major redevelopment on 14.2 hectares at the London terminus – as earlier suggested by Chancellor of the Exchequer George Osborne – and Birmingham City Council’s ambitious Curzon Master Plan for extensive development of 141 hectares around the city centre’s HS2 terminal. This scheme includes creation of over 14,000 jobs, 600,000 square metres of new employment floor space and 2,000 new homes.
When he publishes his progress report on 17 March, David Higgins – who was awarded a knighthood for services to regeneration – will be able to point to these four big redevelopment projects, which will be attractive to private sector investors and would generate more than 150,000 new jobs, as further evidence of the benefits of HS2 and the need to get it built as quickly as possible.
There could be cost savings, too. For example, private sector redevelopment at Euston alone is already reported as likely to reduce the HS2 budget by £1.5 billion.
The site for the new Birmingham Interchange station and Solihull’s ‘UK Central’ comprises 101 hectares within a triangle bounded by the M42 Motorway and the A45 and A446/A452 roads. It is officially designated Green Belt but now has a gravel extraction quarry operating within it. As well as the Packington Estate, the landowners are Solihull Borough Council, Birmingham City Council and the Trustees of the Wingfield Digby Settled Estates.
Today their representatives signed a Memorandum of Understanding agreeing to “work jointly to ensure that the HS2 Interchange site is planned in such a way that will help deliver the wider economic growth and development that both central and local government is seeking, and as identified in the Solihull Metropolitan Borough Council vision document ‘UK Central’. In turn this is supported by the land owners and the Greater Birmingham and Solihull Local Enterprise Partnership.”
Solihull Councillor Ken Meeson said: “The HS2 Interchange will provide the connectivity which is at the heart of the high speed rail project. It will be the link with Birmingham City Centre, Birmingham Airport, the motorway network and mainline rail network for the West Midlands. It will also serve the proposed ‘UK Central’ development which is set to be one of the country’s largest economic development projects over the next decade.”
Packington’s Lord Charles Aylesford added: “The nation’s investment in high speed rail and the creation of Birmingham Interchange Station will provide many new opportunities for the local community. The Estate will work with Solihull MBC to ensure that the impact on the local environment and green belt are minimised.”
Reader Comments:
Views expressed in submitted comments are that of the author, and not necessarily shared by Railnews.
Melvyn Windebank, Canvey Island, Essex
It is these major development projects that the Antis choose to ignore when they go on about the cost of HS2 and yet when it comes to stations private money can be used to part pay for new and expanded stations thus reducing the total cost of HS2!
In addition these developments will generate billions in taxes and rates that will also offset the initial cost of HS2 and may even pay back more than the total cost of HS2 in the longer term .
The new Crossrail station at Canary Wharf has been funded. by CWG and in consequence the plan to open the above station development next year in order to start getting their money back on this investment and perhaps indicates that work on new HS2 stations should go ahead at a quicker rate so any station developments can repay costs of HS2 long before the trains actually arrive !
Chris, London
James, what on earth gives you the idea there's enough room under Paddington for the 4-6 400m platforms needed to allow 18tph in each direction? Where is the tube capacity? As for Stratford International, due to other tunnels under the Olympic Park built to carry services, and the design of the station box, you can't use it as a terminus. It also lacks sufficient platform capacity, and it's only direct transport links are a DLR branch and Javelin services. Completely and utterly unworkable.
Michael, London
OOC as a west London 'Stratford' is much needed redevelopment for the area. Jobs and HOMES!
But at OOC going eastward, the LGV should split with a direct connection to HS1, 30m below ground with an western exit at Euston and eastern exit at St Pancras - it is simple to have the TBM's expand their cutting diameter to bore the 4x900m platforms between the two stations, giving a 1A,1B to enable 2x 400m trainsets to stop at same time.
As for the current planned terminus in Euston Station, these platforms should mostly be used for direct "short run" services with quick turn backs:
(Lincoln)Nottingham-Toton-OOC-Euston.
Derby-Toton-OOC-Euston, etc
The larger UC+ loading gauge units can either terminate at Euston surface, Euston subterranean or carry on to HS1:
Manchester-Toton-OOC- (Euston/StPanc tunnel station)-Stratford-Continent.
Glasgow/Edinburgh-Manchester-OOC-Euston Sub- HS1.
The top branches of the HS2 tree need a redesign so they are not branches but are 'THROUGH' services - serving the city centre's and beyond!
When building infrastructure projects in UK, for once, it should be built 'FUTURE PROOF' instead of a re-design of Victorian Railways.... :(
david jones, Macclesfield
Not to mention the massive regeneration in The Potteries if HS2 is routed through Stoke.
Lorentz, London
Rubbish. Substantiate. 55,00 will not be created at 55,000 directly as a result of work on S2 at Old Oak Common.
As shown, most new permanent jobs will be created within the proximately of the London terminus.
(The Mayor's Office in London has published draft key objectives and powers for a Mayoral Development Corporation, which will drive the regeneration of the 79 hectare site to create up to 24,000 new homes and more than 55,000 jobs. Boris Johnson said in a statement that the scheme could be worth up to £6.2 billion to London's economy and could potentially supply Greater London with up to 2.5 per cent of its housing need and almost 14 per cent of its employment need up to 2031.--Editor.)
Jim Campbell, Birmingham
As a firm supporter of HS2 it is good to hear already of growth and development being planned to take advantage of the links and opportunities it will provide. At the same time I find myself understanding those along the route who feel there live styles are under threat, as I live in the vicinity in lying between Birmingham Airport and the current West a Coast main line. This new UK Central development will not impact on me directly but the loss of green belt and increased traffic is a concern. This does not change my view on the need for and advantages of HS2 but I trust the developers will be conscious of the possible impact on local people and plan to minimise this.
James, London
Old Oak Common is a mistake: the interchange should be under Padington, and the tunnels carried on to St Pancras and with the terminus at Statford International.
We're going to have the tunnels, they might as well be routed for the greatest passenger utility.