HS2 plan 30-hectare expansion of compound near Coventry

[dutchman]

Extending the Stoneleigh Road site would allow for an extra 650 HGV movements every day



HS2 has submitted plans for a huge expansion of its compound near Coventry. Developers are keen to extend the site in Stoneleigh Road by 30 hectares to allow for an extra 650 HGV movements every day at peak times.

Hedgerows and trees would need to be removed to facilitate the expansion which could also result in an additional 380 car trips along Stoneleigh Road, next to Warwickshire County Council's £38million works on the Stoneleigh Island A46 junction. And while HS2 claim it will be a temporary site, it could be used for four years if approved.

It would be in use between 2023 and the end of 2027 and would take a further six months to be decommissioned. HS2 say the new compound is needed to stockpile materials to make it easier to supply the construction sites nearby.

The submission to Warwick District Council said: "It should be noted that these peak figures only apply to a very small proportion of months over the approximately five-year construction programme. There are anticipated to be instances where, over many months, HGV traffic movements will be reduced to a negligible level."

As well as piles of soil up to seven metres high, there would also be a weigh-bridge and welfare cabins built on site. Access would be gained from Stoneleigh Road and traffic lights would be installed at a new T junction.

The first phase of HS2, linking London Euston with Birmingham, is due for completion between 2029 and 2033. Phase 2a, connecting Birmingham with Crewe, has the same completion target, while Phase 2b, linking Crewe and Manchester, is due to finish anywhere between 2040 and 2045.

The multi-billion pound project has been dogged with controversy and inflated cost. Last year the proposed eastern leg of the line, from East Midlands Parkway to Leeds, was scrapped.

Construction of the track has been keenly felt in Warwickshire, which is being dissected by the route. One business owner, whose farm shop has been affected by road closures associated with the project, says the scheme is crippling her family-run firm.

[rebbonk]

The unwanted, and irrelevant, vanity project rumbles on.