A watchdog has urged HS2 contractors to improve their communication with the public about stalled elements of the £100bn scheme.
The independent construction commissioner for the rapid rail project, Mark Worthington, said residents “need a clear idea of what to expect and when to expect it” after the latest delays were announced.
In March, Transport Secretary Mark Harper paused construction on sections of HS2, including Euston station in central London and Phase 2 from Birmingham to Crewe. It later emerged that work on the 7km tunnel linking Old Oak Common to Euston will not start in 2024 as planned.
Independent commissioner Mark Worthington used most of his 25th quarterly report to plead with project client HS2 Ltd and its contractors to improve their communication of delays to the public.
“There is still considerable uncertainty in local communities about what exactly the announcement means,” he wrote. “It is important that HS2 Ltd and its affected contractors communicate what work will stop and what will continue.
“Residents need a clear idea of what to expect and when to expect it. Some will have already drawn conclusions from media reports. They may not be entirely correct.”
HS2 Ltd should also work “as soon as possible” to identify parcels of land near Euston that could be brought back into public use while work was on hold, Worthington urged.
“Clearly, much of the area is not suitable for this temporary use and it will be important for residents to understand from an early stage which land can be used and which cannot. It is also important to explain why this is so. In the short term , the commitment will have to be more intense, so that the community has every opportunity to participate in the preparation of proposals for public space”.
The commissioner’s report also notes that a total of 273 complaints were received in the first quarter of this year, a “significant increase”. But he said there was usually a spike at the start of each year and construction activity had also picked up.
Some 381 minor claims have been registered to date, of which 64 have been approved, the report added. A total of £23,573 has been paid out through HS2’s minor claims scheme. According to the government, the scheme, overseen by the HS2 commissioner, “offers an informal approach to the handling of small claims which is designed to give a quick response with minimum cost and inconvenience to the claimant”.
A joint venture of Skanska, Costain and Strabag (SCS) is responsible for the construction of the Euston Tunnel. Mace and Dragados were appointed in 2019 for Euston’s own station.
Skanska chief executive Katy Dowding said Construction news that “there could be redundancies” as a result of the government’s decision to halt tunnel work at Euston, while Mace chief executive Mark Reynolds said subcontractors working at the station Euston would also be forced to make redundancies.
Three teams were shortlisted in 2021 for the £500m design and delivery partner contract in Phase 2a.
