Enclosed is the report of the Strategic Director Growth and Development.

1.         To note the proposed refinements in Manchester in the HS2 Design Refinement Consultation.

2.         To note the City Council’s submission of a response to the consultation.

In December 2018 we had considered a consultation on the plans for the construction of the HS2 rail line as it came through Manchester, past the airport, and into Piccadilly Station (Minute Exe/18/112). We had at that time delegated authority to respond to HS2 the consultation to the then Strategic Director (Development), now referred to as the Strategic Director, Growth and Development.

HS2 Ltd had now refined the plans and had invited the Council to again comment on those revisions. A report submitted by the Strategic Director, Growth and Development explained the key differences between the 2018 proposals and what HS2 Ltd was now contemplating.

In examining the Council’s response to the consultation, the report described the Council’s continuing overall commitment to the HS2 project and explained the on-going concerns of the Council about some of the detail in the scheme, and the site-specific issues that required a response. There remained significant issues with the proposed locations and size of the tunnel ventilation shafts, as well as with the potential for significant disruption to residents and to traffic flows from the vehicle movements needed to remove waste rock excavated during the tunnel boring.

Councillor Lovecy, a ward councillor for the Rusholme Ward, addressed the meeting. She explained that there was much local concern about the proposal to have one of the ventilation shafts in the Fallowfield Retail Park on Birchfield’s Road. That site was not appropriate for a number of reasons:

·         it would be directly adjacent to Birchfields Primary School and close to Manchester Enterprise Academy Central, disturbing the learning at those schools for many years, and creating more air pollution for the children to be exposed to long-term;

·         it would eliminate three large shops on the retail park, and the jobs of the local residents who worked in those shops; and

·         it would reduce the space available for the ‘park and stride’ schemes that the local schools used to help reduce traffic congestion in the streets around the schools.

It was noted that in its response the Council had proposed two alternative sites where this vent could be located. It was hoped that HS2 Ltd would acknowledge the concerns about the retail park site, and then engage with the community to identify what alternative would be more suitable.

The deadline for responses had been 6 September 2019 and it was therefore noted that the director had again provided a response to the consultation on behalf of the Council.

Decision

1.         To note the proposed refinements in Manchester in the HS2 Design Refinement Consultation.

2.         To note the City Council’s submission of a response to the consultation.