petitioner the chiltern society€¦ · o woodland trust o ridgeway trail partnership o local...
TRANSCRIPT
15/07/2015
1
HOUSE OF COMMONS SELECT COMMITTEE
HS2 (LONDON – WEST MIDLANDS) BILL,
14 July 2015
Petitioner –
The Chiltern Society
No. 0761
0761 / 1
1. About the Chiltern Society
2. AONB & Countryside Issues
3. Water related Issues
4. AONB Planning Policy
5. Three Bore Tunnel Option
6. Mitigation Hierarchy
7. Chiltern Society’s Conclusion
Chiltern Society Presentation
0761 / 2
15/07/2015
2
1. About the Chiltern Society
Founded 50 years ago
to conserve and enhance the Chiltern Hills
to campaign for the AONB to be confirmed
to campaign against the M40 cutting
to reinstate footpaths post-WWII
A registered charity
7,000 members
0761 / 3
500 volunteers – the largest group in any
AONB
0761 / 4
15/07/2015
3
Chiltern Society - Interest Groups
oRights of Way
oSite management
oWalking
oCycling
oRivers & wetlands
oPlanning
oHeritage
oPhotographic
0761 / 5
Chiltern Society - what we do
o Maintain Rights of Way
o Manage 13 nature reserves and heritage sites
o Participate at all levels of the UK planning system
o Work with a wide range of national, regional and local
environmental organisations
o Work on chalk streams and wetlands
o Provide opportunities to volunteer and learn new skills
o Support local community groups
0761 / 6
15/07/2015
4
Chiltern Society – some notable
achievements
o Founded Chiltern Open
Air Museum
o Restored Lacey Green
Windmill and Ewelme
Watercress Beds
o Created the Chiltern
Way long distance
circular footpath
0761 / 7
Chiltern Society – More Achievements
o Organises annual Chilterns Building Design Awards jointly with Chiltern Conservation Board
o Co-created Chiltern Cycle Way with Chiltern Conservation Board
o Organises 150 cycling trips and more than 100 walks each year
o Donate-a-Gate - currently over 600 easy access gates funded and installed
0761 / 8
15/07/2015
5
o Forestry Commission
o Chiltern Conservation Board *
o Chilterns Open Air Museum
o Chilterns Chalk Streams Project *
o Chilterns Woodlands Project *
o Colne Valley Park CIC *
o Woodland Trust
o Ridgeway Trail Partnership
o Local authorities
* Partners to which the Society contributes funding annually
0761 / 9
Chiltern Society - Key Partners
Why is the Chiltern Society Petitioning?
o Irreversible damage to the Chilterns AONB
o Severance of the Chilterns
o Risk to the Chilterns Aquifer and River Misbourne
o Serious harm to the Colne Valley Park
o Impact on wildlife
o Impact on countryside recreation and tourism
o Impact on communities
o Disregard of long-standing AONB National Planning principles
o Failure to apply higher standards within the AONB
0761 / 10
15/07/2015
6
2. AONB & Countryside Issues
Irreversible damage to Chilterns AONB
Harm to ancient countryside
Impact on communities
Impact on recreation & tourism
Threat to the Misbourne chalk stream
0761 / 11
Chiltern Hills AONB –
o Designated in 1965
o Only AONB on HS2 route
o Closest AONB to London
o Unique ancient countryside
0761 / 12
15/07/2015
7
Bisection of the Chilterns
0761 / 13
HS2 cuts through the
AONB at its widest point
Damage to the Chilterns AONB
o Irreversible damage to unique ancient English landscape
o Adverse impact on the Chilterns’ footpath network
o Loss of wildlife habitat - 41km of hedgerows
Animal migration routes
14 ha of ancient woodland
o Potential adverse impact on over 550 listed buildings
o Loss of part of Grim’s Ditch - a scheduled ancient monument
o Permanent loss of 212 ha of farmland
0761 / 14
15/07/2015
8
Damage to the Chilterns AONB
Construction of –
4 vent shafts
2 cut and cover tunnels
2 viaducts, high embankments
30 metre deep cuttings
27 balancing ponds
Security fencing and signage
Catenary towers
0761 / 15
Dumping of six million cubic metres of spoil at Hunts Green Farm
Introduction of Noise and Light Pollution
0761 / 16
15/07/2015
9
Ancient Landscape
with very little change over hundreds of years
o Chequers estate map of 1620
o The Ridgeway National Trail
o 19 Hill forts
o Romano-British villas every
2 - 3 km
o Living heritage for future
generations
0761 / 17
Footpaths
o Over 2000km of footpaths in the Chilterns
o HS2 route crossed by 36 paths
o 29 footpaths closed temporarily
o One bridleway will be closed permanently
o 16 footpaths diverted permanently
o Impact on the integrity of the footpath network
o Impact on views from the Ridgeway and Icknield Way
0761 / 18
15/07/2015
10
Environmental Statement
o Only 40% of land surveyed
o Geological surveys not made
o Traffic assessments inadequate and incorrect
o Definition of Rush Hour inadequate
o Landscape assessment
o Code of Construction Practice
0761 / 19
Permanent Impact on Communities
o Additional noise – impact on tranquillity
o Light pollution
o Impact of overnight maintenance work
o Permanent change to local landscapes
o Traditional access routes diverted
o Harm to local businesses (eg tourism and farming)
0761 / 20
15/07/2015
11
Construction Impact on Communities
o Up to an additional 2800 LGV, 1100 HGV movements per day causing
Disruption of children’s education
Delayed emergency service response
Commuter and traffic delays
o Severance of hill villages from services
o Impact on local businesses
o Disconnection of rights of way and amenity areas
o Loss of tranquillity
0761 / 21
Colne Valley Regional Park
o An important buffer between the Chilterns and West London
o Provides valuable countryside ‘green lung’ for North West
London
o Provides key recreational activities for Londoners
(eg. Hillingdon Outdoor Activity Centre - HOAC)
o Important SSSI for transitory waterfowl
o HS2 will severely damage these assets - permanently
0761 / 22
15/07/2015
12
3. Water related issues
The River Misbourne rises near Great
Missenden, fed by the aquifer in the Upper
Misbourne
The Misbourne aquifer feeds the Colne
Catchment Area, providing drinking water for the
communities in the Misbourne Valley
22% of London’s drinking water comes from
the Colne Valley Catchment Area
0761 / 23
Threat to the River Misbourne
o A globally rare chalk stream
o One of nine main Chiltern chalk streams
o Key feature of the Misbourne Valley
o Feeds Shardeloes Lake
o Highly vulnerable to changes in the chalk aquifer
0761 / 24
15/07/2015
13
Risks to public water supply
Pollution of the aquifer
o HS2 confirm that the construction proposed in the Colne
Valley presents a risk to water quality in the Colne
Catchment Area
o This would lead to loss of water supplied by the Great
Missenden, Amersham and Chalfont St Giles pumping
stations
0761 / 25
Environmental Risks
• Loss of the Misbourne, and
Shardeloes Lake
• Water being diverted away
from the Colne Valley &
Weston Turville SSSIs
• Settlement along proposed
route, particularly Chalfont St
Giles
0761 / 26
The River Misbourne
Shardeloes Lake
15/07/2015
14
Water – Risk Reduction
o The upper levels of the Chiltern aquifer have a number of fractures
through which the water flows. The deeper one goes into the aquifer
the chalk is more clay rich and less permeable.
o Drilling deeper in the aquifer reduces the risk of
Settlement along proposed route, particularly Chalfont St Giles
Diverting the water away from the River Misbourne
Damage to the aquifer
Closing the public water supply
0761 / 27
Witness
Dr Haydon W. Bailey
o Chartered Geologist
o PhD in Chalk Stratigraphy
o Consultant micropalaeontologist – oil and gas industry for over 35 years
o Specialises in Upper Cretaceous Chalk stratigraphy
o Honorary lecturer, MSc course in Applied and Petroleum Micropalaeontology, University of Birmingham
o President - Geologists’ Association
o Chairman - Hertfordshire Geological Society
o Past Chairman - The Micropalaeontology Society
o Written over 25 peer reviewed articles, mainly about Cretaceous chalks
0761 / 28
15/07/2015
15
0761 / 29
Good aquifer: Flints common – difficult to tunnel -------------------------------------------------------------------- Moderate aquifer: Few flints – easy to tunnel -------------------------------------------------------------------- Poor aquifer: No flints – easiest to tunnel
Denham Chalfont St. Giles Coleshill
Holmer Green
Kingshill Wendover
0761 / 30
Pre-Anglian glaciation route for the Proto-Thames - half a million years ago
15/07/2015
16
Chalfont Borehole - Original drillers log
Surface
Top Solid chalk
Flint gravel
Weathered Upper Chalk
Top soil
Chalk Rock
16 metres
0761 / 31
16 metres – rubbly chalk
6 metres – competent chalk
SOLID
CHALK
Chalfont St. Giles valley crossing
0761 / 32
15/07/2015
17
AONB Planning Policy
Long established principle that –
o AONB designation recognises the highest quality of
English landscape (same as for the National Parks)
National Planning Policy Framework 2014 requires that –
o Great weight should be given to conserving landscape and
scenic beauty in National Parks, the Broads and AONBs
Consistent with long standing principles to protect natural
beauty, established by –
o National Parks and Access to the Countryside Act 1949
o Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000
0761 / 33
Major Developments in AONBs –
The Thrust of Public Policy
Successive planning guidance & policy identified four key tests
in AONBs –
o Major developments, including those that raise issues of national
significance, should not take place in AONBs except in exceptional
circumstances
o They ‘should be subject to the most rigorous examination’
o The cost and scope for ‘developing elsewhere outside of the
designated area’ should be assessed
o They ‘should be demonstrated to be in the national interest before
being allowed to proceed’
0761 / 34
15/07/2015
18
Public Policy – Key Tests
These PPS7 principles reflected similar provisions in earlier
Planning Policy Guidance (PPG 1997 and PPG7 1992)
In summary – The long standing thrust of Public Policy is that four Key
Tests should be applied -
1 - Exceptional circumstances
2 - Rigorous examination
3 - An assessment of Non-AONB alternatives
4 - A ‘national interest’ test
0761 / 35
Failure to satisfy the Key Tests
The ‘rigorous examination’ test has not been met because HS2 Ltd has not assessed a preferred alternative route that does not cross the Chilterns AONB – i.e. a ‘Non-AONB alternative’ As a consequence, Parliament cannot assess whether ‘exceptional circumstances’ exist The Select Committee can not therefore be satisfied that –
– A ‘National Interest’ test has been properly applied and met – The Government’s obligation to ‘conserve and enhance the
natural beauty’ of the Chilterns AONB has been met
0761 / 36
15/07/2015
19
4. A Three Bore Tunnel under the
Chilterns AONB
0761 / 37
A Three Bore Tunnel – Key Factors
o Same design concept as Channel Tunnel
o No need for intervention gap (fire fighting area)
o No vent shafts
o No need to construct surface evacuation facilities within the
AONB
0761 / 38
15/07/2015
20
Three Bore Tunnel - Advantages
o Only option which eliminates damage to the AONB
o Greatly reduces risk to the aquifer
o Substantially reduces impacts on local communities
o Removes property blight
o Enables
Deeper tunnels
Operational benefits with virtually no incline on the track
o Reduces public safety risk by providing a sealed safety area
independent of the other operational tunnel
0761 / 39
Witness – Mike Overall
o Chiltern Society Trustee (2001-2012)
Vice Chairman (2004-2011)
Chairman (2011-2012)
o Independent Adviser on organisational strategy (1997- 2003)
o External Adviser to Shell Aircraft on safety management system development (1997-2003)
o CAA divisional director responsible for safety regulation of UK airports and air traffic services (1990-1997)
o Director General –Strategic Planning, NATS (1988-1990)
15/07/2015
21
Tunnel Safety Areas
o For the proposed two bore system, the safety area is the other tunnel; in the case of HS2 the other tunnel has up to 18 trains per hour, running at 320kph.
o In the event of an incident, both tracks must be halted, requiring challenging technical control systems
o In “Options for additional tunnelling through the Chilterns”, HS2 observe that “There are a number of practical issues with the rapid evacuation of a high capacity train in fire conditions into the other running tunnel”, and conclude that “an option for a twin-bore tunnel with ventilation shafts only is not a realistic proposition” (8.1.6)
o A three bore tunnel system offers a safe area in the central tunnel, which can be sealed from both operating tunnels
0761 / 41
Tunnel Safety - Risk Management
0761 / 42
Key issue for Select Committee – Can the prospect of a higher level of public safety provided by a Three-Bore tunnel be discounted?
Source – COMMISSION REGULATION (EU) No 1303/2014 ‘Safety in railway tunnels’
Best practice Safety Management requires - • Highest priority to be given to risk
‘avoidance’, as the best means of ‘prevention’
• Rigorous safety assessment of alternatives
• Use of ‘Safety Case’ disciplines
15/07/2015
22
Tunnel Safety Assessment
o It is in the public interest that any higher safety benefits of a
three bore tunnel are not rejected in order to achieve lower
costs
o This could be assured by requiring all main tunnelling options
to be subjected to rigorous comparative safety assessment by
independent specialists
o We understand that there is no single independent UK rail
safety regulatory body with powers to require such action
0761 / 43
Three Bore Tunnel – Costings
Additional Construction Cost
Estimated at £750m more by HS2
Offsets
Economic disbenefits to Chiltern District Council £170m
Economic disbenefits on Aylesbury Vale DC £170m
Compensation payments and land costs – estimate £ 50m
No landscape impacts £114m
Sub total £504m
Tunnelling 24 hours / 7 days per week compared with construction for
8 hours per day 5½ days per week
Most of the spoil will be chalk which could be sold for cement
manufacturing
0761 / 44
15/07/2015
23
5. Mitigation Hierarchy
45
Lowest Level Mitigation
Minimum expectation (must include) -
o lower the current line, so that it is mainly in cutting
o remove spoil from AONB
o reconnect all footpaths, Rights of Way and animal migration trails, using green bridges at least 100 metre wide or passages through embankments
o Restore lost hedgerows
o Remove right for Main Undertaker to raise the line
o Provide Air Ambulance cover
0761 / 46
15/07/2015
24
Moderate Level Mitigation
A long two-bore tunnel - o Saves 95% of Ancient Woodlands threatened
o Substantially reduces impact on
landscape
footpaths and Rights of Way
spoil dump in AONB
noise and light pollution
commuters and communities
However there are negatives - Needs six vent shafts
Needs an underground intervention gap
0761 / 47
High Level Mitigation
A three-bore tunnel –
o Eliminates adverse impacts on
Landscape
Aquifers
Footpaths and Rights of Way
Construction in the AONB
Ancient Woodland
Hunts Green Farm (spoil dump)
Loss of good quality agricultural land
Noise, Light and Dust pollution
o Eliminates vent shafts and an intervention gap
o Enables Parliament to fulfil its obligations to conserve and enhance the natural beauty of the Chilterns AONB
0761 / 48
15/07/2015
25
6. Chiltern Society’s Conclusion
If HS2 has to cross the Chilterns AONB
- the only acceptable mitigation in the
National Interest is a Three Bore Tunnel
0761 / 49