HS2 terminus ‘must be moved to west London while Euston station is redeveloped’

Plans: Camden council has called on the Government to move the terminus of HS2 (Picture: PA)

16 May 2014

Camden council has called on the Government to move the terminus of HS2 temporarily from Euston to Old Oak Common in west London.

The borough insists that it needs more time to plan a proper regeneration scheme around Euston station.

The drastic proposal was included in the north London borough’s formal petition to the Government this week. It comes amid huge uncertainty over the redevelopment of Euston, which has been the subject of three master-plans as the HS2 terminus.

In the latest version, HS2 chief Sir David Higgins has proposed a single-deck station a fifth larger than the existing footprint, potentially as the base of a 30-storey office and residential development.

Building work at Euston is set to begin in 2017 before the station opens in 2027. Mayor Boris Johnson has so far rejected calls for HS2 to terminate at Old Oak Common, between Harlesden and Acton, which will be connected to Crossrail and the Overground, saying it would be the “Ryanair solution, stopping in the middle of nowhere”.

But David Padfield, HS2 director at Camden council, said: “If the scheme does go ahead it must be done properly, to maximise regeneration opportunities and community benefits.

“The only way for a sensible alternative for Euston to be fully worked out is if the route terminates at Old Oak Common temporarily. This would ease overcrowding and allow enough time for the new station and surrounding area to be built.”

The council has also called for “fairer” compensation for Londoners, that at least matches the more generous package available to rural areas, and timely compensation for businesses of all sizes. It also wants all residents displaced by HS2 to be adequately rehoused.

MORE ABOUT

London

HS2 terminus ‘must be moved to west London while Euston station is redeveloped’

Read More