The High Court have granted Buckinghamshire Council permission to go to Judicial Review on its appeals against six HS2 lorry route decisions.

The Honourable Mrs Justice Lang has granted permission to Buckinghamshire Council to apply for Judicial Review on its appeals against six HS2 lorry route decisions. This is good news as it means that the judge is satisfied that the Council has reasonable arguments in its appeal to quash these decisions.

The lorry routes the Judicial Review relates to are:

·     Brackley Road

·     Wendover Green Tunnel

·     Small Dean Lane, Wendover to the Strategic Road Network

·     Small Dean Viaduct, Wendover to the Strategic Road Network

·     Chiltern Tunnel North Portal to the Strategic Road Network, and three worksites

at Little Missenden, Chesham and the North Portal to the Strategic Road Network

The hearing is likely to take place in April/May 2022.

HS2 ongoing work

You can see the work that is taking place in Buckinghamshire on the HS2 website, ‘In Your Area’ section (Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire) and sign up for automatic alerts.  HS2 Ltd or contractors are committed to send out Advanced Warning Notices 2 weeks ahead of works commencing.

Works in Buckinghamshire

Listed here are some of the main works in the table below (please note this is not a comprehensive list) :

Works Duration
Colne Valley Viaduct construction Mar 2021-2023
Chalfont St Giles, CSG10/1 and CSG32/1

footpath closures

Jun 2020-Feb 2030
Chalfont St Giles, Bottom House Farm Lane closure Aug 2021-Feb 2022
Chalfont St Giles, monitoring borehole works at Stone Meadow Nov 2021-Jan 2022
Amersham Vent Shaft construction Dec 2021-Mar 2022
Chesham Road, temporary traffic lights Nov 2021-Sep 2022
Great Missenden, commence north portal

earthworks

Aug 2021-Sep 2022
Little Missenden Vent Shaft construction Jan 2022-Jun 2022
Aylesbury, south earthworks cutting Oct 2021-Oct 2024
Aylesbury, A418 break from highway Nov 2021-mid Feb 2022
Princes Risborough to Aylesbury railway Dec 2021-May 2022
Marsh Lane and Old Risborough Road

closures

May 2021-Apr 2026
Quainton construction activities Sep-Winter 2021
Waddesdon, south earthworks cutting Oct 2021-Sep 2022
Small Dean Lane, Wendover road closure Dec 2021-March 2024

HS2 Forthcoming Works Packages submission to Buckinghamshire Council

Schedule 17 of the HS2 Act puts in place a process for the approval of certain matters relating to the design and construction of the railway, which requires that the nominated undertaker (HS2 Ltd and its contractors) must seek approval of these matters from the relevant planning authority.

As deemed planning permission has been granted by the Act, requests for approval under Schedule 17 are not planning applications and there are few grounds on which the Council can refuse.

*Please note however, forecast dates are subject to slippage by contractors*

Schedule 17 package Location Planned submission date
Bicester Road Embankment

Waddesdon South Cutting

Bridleway FMA/1 overbridge

A41 Bicester Road realignment and overbridge

Footpath WAD/4 Accommodation overbridge

Putlowes to Waddesdon (AVDC package 9) Application received

November 2021

South Heath cutting

Footpath GMI/12 overbridge and GMI/2 accommodation overbridge

Leather Lane overbridge and highway realignment

South Heath

(CDC package 1)

January 2022 – overdue
Doddershall Embankment  / Woodlands Cutting / Bridleway QUA/28A Accommodation overbridge Quainton to Grendon Underwood (AVDC Package 11) January 2022 – overdue
Chesham Road Intervention Shaft Plans and Specifications Plans and specifications February 2022
Chesham Road Intervention Shaft Site Restoration Chesham Road Vent Shaft February 2022
North portal design and external appearance of buildings Land to the west of Frith Hill February 2022
South Heath cutting

Cottage Farm accommodation overbridge

TLE/2 Footbridge

Bowood Lane overbridge and highway

Bowood Lane (AVDC package 1) February 2022
Padbury Brook diversion Schedule 17 February 2022
Featherbed Lane Overbridge Tibbets Farm EFATS Barton to Mixbury Cutting Mixbury Culvert Mixbury Embankment Bridleway 303/4 Overbridge Mixbury (Cherwell DC Package 03) February 2022
Turweston 132KV Construction Site Restoration Turweston February 2022
Featherbed Lane 132KV Site Restoration Featherbed Lane February 2022
Wendover Green Tunnel Ellesborough Road re-construction Wendover north cutting Nash Lee Road and overbridge Nash Lee (AVDC Package 04) March 2022
Chetwode Cutting Barton Hartshorn Embankment Barton to Mixbury Cutting Footpath CHW/18 Accommodation Overbridge School End Overbridge The Green Highway Realignment Chetwode to Mixbury (AVDC Package 15) March 2022
Westbury Embankment / Westbury Viaduct / Grovehill Embankment  /Turweston Cutting / Turweston Embankment / Turweston Viaduct Westbury to Turweston (AVDC Package 16) March 2022
Aylesbury South Cutting and Embankment /Footpath SMA/16 overbridge Bridleway SBH/19 and SBH/27 overbridges / Footpath SBH/34 and SBH/32 overbridges / A418 Oxford Road overbridge South West Aylesbury (AVDC Package 06A) March 2022
Ground level permanent earthworks and fencing and restoration proposals for Colne Valley Viaduct northern area. (Moorhall Road North) Land Between the A412 and Moorhall Road April 2022
Aylesbury North Cutting Oxford Road Embankment Whaddon Hill Cutting Bridleway SBH/32 overbridge Bridleway SBH/2 overbridge Hartwell (AVDC Package 07) April 2022
Rocky Lane underbridge / Small Dean south embankment / Small Dean viaduct / Small Dean north embankment / A413 diversion Green Tunnel South Portal / Bacombe Lane re-construction Small Dean (AVDC Package 03) April 2022
Thame Valley South Embankment / Thame Valley Viaduct / Thame Valley North Embankment / Putlowes Cutting Putlowes Accommodation overbridge Thame Valley (AVDC Package 08) April 2022
SCL/8 Footbridge Steeple Claydon TBC