HS2 Bill: Parliament gets first glimpse of high speed rail ‘planning application’ as MPs are warned to keep costs down

Detailed plans for the HS2 rail line will go before Parliament for the first time today, in a move which its supporters hope will finally convince backbench MPs it is worth the cost, disruption and environmental impact.

It is reported to be the largest single bill ever to be considered by politicians, and if passed will effectively give the Government the green light to tear up Britain’s landscape and lay down the line.

Today’s session will include the publication of a lengthy environmental statement, telling MPs and the public exactly how the planned development will impact on the countryside.

And in revealing what is essentially one giant planning application, the Government opens itself up to individual challenges from those affected by the line – appeals which will be heard by a committee of MPs.

This significant development shows for the first time that around 23 per cent of the line between London and the West Midlands will be in tunnels, the Guardian reported.

The HS2 scheme will cause loss or damage to at least 67 ancient woods, according to the Woodland Trust, while it will require the planting of approximately two million trees to screen the line and reduce noise pollution.

Without vital cross-party backing, HS2 could still yet be derailed. And though cost continues to be a major concern for a great number of MPs – particularly after the anticipated benefit-to-cost ratio of the project was downgraded – supporters said that now was the time to fully get behind the plans.

A National Trust spokesman said: “HS2 is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to build something truly exemplary.

“If it happens, and the hybrid bill is a major milestone in its progress, we believe it is possible to design and build HS2 in a way which delivers benefits to the economy and the landscapes through which it runs. We would be concerned if cost becomes the barrier to getting the right mitigation in place, for people and the environment.”

A spokesman for rail industry body the Rail Delivery Group said: “Through the hard times and the good, demand for rail travel has boomed, and it continues to rise.

“There are a million more services and half a billion more passengers on the railway this year than there were a decade ago. By 2020, a further 400 million journeys will be made annually.

“There is a capacity challenge not just on the West Coast Main Line, but on the railway more generally. That is why we must plan for a network which can move more people and freight across the country safely, reliably and efficiently.”

The leader of the TSSA union Manuel Cortes warned MPs to ensure HS2 is kept in the public sector, and costs are kept down so that the £50 billion line does not become a “rich man’s toy”.

He said: “This is a railway being paid for by every taxpayer in Britain and everyone should be able to afford to travel on it.

“We do not want a repeat of our current system, whereby someone earning just £10,000 a year is subsidising the likes of billionaire tax exile Sir Richard Branson to provide sky-high fares on the West Coast line.

“This must not become a rich man's toy, solely for the benefit of businessmen. If we are serious about ending the north-south divide, it should be kept in the public sector for the benefit of the public who will pay to build it.”