REPORT TO PICKMERE PARISH COUNCIL
5th April 2022
AGENDA ITEM 9.2 HS2B – DEPOSIT OF HYBRID BILL – UPDATE
1. REPORT
1.1 In accordance with your Council’s decisions:
• An objection to the scheme in principle has been sent to Esther McVey MP, in time for the second reading of the Bill (which is where the principle of the scheme going ahead or not will be decided).
• Representations/objections have been submitted in respect of the scheme’s Environmental Assessment, which had a deadline of 31st March.
1.2 Copies of those representations are appended to this report for information and will be loaded onto the Council’s website.
1.3 Work is continuing on the preparation of a petition to Parliament in respect of other detailed aspects of the Council’s objections. The deadline for submitting such a petition is not yet known but is understood to be in early summer.
1.4 Council has previously delegated powers to the working group on this matter in association with your Chair and Clerk to submit such representations to the local MP, HS2b Ltd (or its proxies) and Parliament. It may be that when more is known about the petitioning process that further decisions of council will be required.
1.5 On a further aspect of this topic, Cllr Craig Browne, Deputy Leader of CEC has agreed to the idea of a meeting with the Parish Council to talk through our and their stances on HS2B. Members are therefore requested to consider whether this would be a good idea, and if so who might attend such a meeting.
2. RECOMMENDATION
2.1 That the report be noted and Council make any relevant decisions.
Jack Steel
Clerk to the Parish Council