Crossrail Bill

This report sets out the Committee's recommendations on the Crossrail Bill (published as HCB 2, session 2006-07; ISBN 0215707877) following a number of public hearings and consideration of cases presented on petitions made against the Bill and against additional provisions deposited by the Government. As a result of these considerations, the Committee has made certain amendments to the Bill to meet or partially cover the requirements of Petitioners where judged appropriate. There are also a number of issues where the Committee has made recommendations or suggested a course of action to the Promoter of the Bill instead of making an amendment to the Bill. The Committee has only commented on cases where it is deemed necessary; in all other cases the Committee was satisfied with the undertakings and assurances offered by the Promoter to the Petitioner.

Under the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) Directive, decision making bodies must consider the environmental effects of projects before allowing them to proceed. As the House of Commons will be asked, at Third Reading, to approve the building of Crossrail this document aims to inform the debate by summarising the work that has been done to assess, control and mitigate the environmental impacts of the scheme. It also explains why the Government takes the view that the project is worthy of support. It covers: the environmental statement; role of the Select Committee; the general approach to the control and mitigation of environmental impacts; post-mitigation impacts; the need for and benefits of Crossrail; and human rights. The appendices, which form the bulk of the document, include a summary of the reason for the Governments support of the project; a list of Information Papers and other sources of information; and examples of correspondence on the consideration of alternatives.

This book provides a comprehensive study of the planning and building of railways in London’s Docklands, reflecting on the past 180 years of railway development. It describes the creation of the enclosed working docks at the start of the 19th Century and the introduction of railways in the middle of the century. By the 1970’s the decline of the working docks led to a plethora of plans to regenerate the area, but with little agreement on what should be done. The setting up of the London Docklands Development Corporation by the former Secretary of State for the Environment Lord Heseltine was a significant landmark, expediting the Canary Wharf development. The book describes in detail the modern railway projects, created to support the subsequent growing employment and population of the area, including the Docklands Light Railway with its multiple extensions, the Jubilee Line extension and Crossrail/Elizabeth Line. The book will appeal to a wide audience. To railway enthusiasts who wish to learn more about the why and the how such projects are approved and built and to transport and planning professionals who wish to understand more about the ups and downs of the relationship between transport and development and the decision making processes. within changing political, economic and employment scenarios. The end result has provided Docklands with a comprehensive hierarchy of quality transport services, to match anyway in the world.

The Government needs to show real commitment to dealing with the impact that HS2 will have on our countryside and wildlife. It is imperative that an infrastructure project on such a large scale implements proper environmental safeguards and ensures that impacts are minimised. That won't happen if HS2 Ltd can avoid implementing safeguards if they consider them to be 'impracticable' or 'unreasonable'. There needs to be a separate ring-fenced budget for these safeguards and for compensation, separate from the rest of the HS2 budget, to prevent the environment being squeezed if HS2 costs grow. The Government's aim of 'no net biodiversity loss' on HS2 is not good enough - it should aim for environmental gains that the Government promised in its white paper on the Natural Environment. In any case, the Government can't demonstrate it will cause no net harm because it has still not surveyed 40% of the land to be used. Ancient woodland should be treated with particular care. HS2 will damage some woodlands, and where that happens, compensation measures should be much higher than the level indicated in the calculation that HS2 Ltd will use. The HS2 Hybrid Bill will be given its second reading on 28 April, after which it will be referred to a dedicated select committee to examine 'petitions' against it. The Committee criticises the procedure's failure to fully address the requirements of EU and national directives on environmental assessments, which it wants to be at least partly rectified in the forthcoming Parliamentary proceedings

Major Infrastructure Planning and Delivery introduces the system for planning and consenting Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects (NSIPs) in England (which has also applied for some schemes in Wales). These are the major projects involving power stations and large renewable energy schemes, motorways, railways and a range of other high profile, high impact and sometimes controversial development schemes, and including some closely linked to the UK’s transition to Net Zero. The book explains where this separate system for governing major infrastructure came from and how it operates in practice, with a particular focus on the relationship between planning, consent and delivery of these infrastructure projects. Detailed case studies of the A14 highway, Thames Tideway super sewer, Galloper offshore windfarm and Progress Power station, drawing on research by the authors, illustrate issues of the often overlooked continuing role of local government, the engagement of local communities and stakeholders, and the modification of schemes between consent and construction. At a time of ongoing government planning reform, increased concern about climate change, and still unresolved consequences of Brexit, as well as timeless debates such as over national need versus local impact, this timely book offers rich detail on the particular approach to major infrastructure planning in England, but also speaks to wider issues around the governance of development and implementation of government policy under late capitalism.

The Crossrail Bill was published as HCB 5, session 2007-08 (ISBN 9780215709202)

This report discusses the state of the art in understanding the economic effects of major transport infrastructure projects. It examines the limits of socio-economic cost-benefit analysis (CBA) and reviews the development of approaches to assessing the benefits of investment in large projects.

Public Law guides students through all the essential components of the Public Law module, in a user-friendly structure that is ideal for visual learners. Written by an experienced teacher of Public Law, the book takes an accessible and engaging approach to often complex areas of law, politics and the constitution. Incorporating recent developments, academic debate and commentary, the book introduces students to all the key concepts of this core subject. The text is grounded in context, explaining how Public Law operates in practice, and it thoroughly covers the spectrum of Constitutional Law, Human Rights and Administrative Law. Integrated pedagogic features ease navigation of the text and reinforce key points. These include Public Law in Context, Recent Developments, Public Law in Practice, Practical Application and Academic Debate, and Public Law is also supported by online Multiple Choice Questions. Public Law is essential reading for modules on public law and constitutional and administrative law on LLB degrees and conversion courses.