HS2; Road Closures in Burton Green

The request was partially successful.

Monica Fogerty,
Chief Executive
Warwickshire County Council,

Dear Ms Fogerty,

I refer to the closure of roads by the council, on behalf of HS2 Ltd, at the Red Lane/Hob Lane/Cromwell Lane junction in Burton Green, adjacent to the school, for a wholly unreasonable 3 month period, This detriment is compounded by the granting of permission to close Crackley Lane over the same extended period.

This was raised by Jeremy Wright MP in a question to the Prime Minister on the second of September. The video is on line at the link below.

https://parliamentlive.tv/event/index/d9...

It would seem unlikely that HS2 trains will be running within the intended construction timetable for phase 1 if it takes them 3 months to construct a path and cycleway across two narrow country roads. I note that the same extent of construction on the same Greenway diversion to cross a similar nearby road, Waste Lane, was undertaken with a complete road closure of just 3 days. Traffic lights persist at that location.

Warwickshire County Council is the highways authority for work at this junction. The WCC website has a page at the following link which advises in respect of current and planned roadworks

https://www.warwickshire.gov.uk/roadwork...

However, this map only seems to include road closure schemes that have already been approved by the highways authority.

A hyperlink from that map provides summary information about these particular works at this link
https://roadworks.org/?tmi=16009785

This confirms that the information was last updated on the 14th August 2020.

That link, in turn, also provides a link, as below, to a pdf document “HS2 Notification Kenilworth Greenway”, but that link is broken.
https://portal.roadworks.org/downloads/t...

The WCC website explains the process for applying for permission for a road closure, and provides the relevant documentation.
https://www.warwickshire.gov.uk/roadclos...

Particularly, there is a guidance note here
https://api.warwickshire.gov.uk/document...

It does appear that several recommendations in that guidance note have not been fulfilled for this road closure.

I am unable to find any information about requests for road closures which have been applied for but not yet decided upon. i.e. applications which should be accessible to public scrutiny and consultation. The application documents that have been submitted do not seem to be published until it is too late and the consent has been granted.

This would appear to be wholly contrary to Section 4 of the Environmental Information Regulations which requires the publication of Environmental Information proactively, without the need for a prior request, and before decisions with environmental consequences are made. It may also breach other obligations on councils in respect of openness.

Against that background, and under the other provisions of the Environmental Information Regulations, please provide a copy of the information contained in

1, The pdf document referred to above.

2. The application to close the roads in Burton Green, including any additional enclosures or attachments, that was submitted by HS2 Ltd

3, Subsequent communications between HS2 Ltd and the Council (i) about this road closure particularly, or (ii) about road closures generally for which this particular work would be an included example.

4. Prior material or communications between HS2 Ltd and the council that is referenced in the documentation under points 1, 2 and 3 above and that has not otherwise been published.

I also note that the charge for a “temporary” road closure application is a one-off payment (£1480) irrespective of the duration of the road closure. Please send me the relevant minutes and any policy document from when that charging policy was adopted by the council.

Finally, please also provide any information you hold which sets out the council’s strategy to fulfil the requirements of section 4 of the EIRs. Such development is essential to prevent recurrences of this debacle over the extended period of this project.

Yours sincerely,

Dr Paul Thornton

Warwickshire County Council

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Information request
Our reference: 5950360

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Dear Dr Thornton
Please see attached for acknowledgement of your recent request.
Yours Sincerely
 
Kerry Marron
Freedom of Information Team
Customers & Information Services
Communities Directorate
PO Box 43 
Warwick
CV34 4SX
Tel: 01926 412837

 

Warwickshire County Council

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Information request
Our reference: 5950360

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Dear Dr Thornton
 
Please see the attached letter in response to your Freedom of Information
request.

Kind regards

Kerry Marron
Freedom of Information Team

Customers & Information Services
Communities Directorate
PO Box 43
Warwick
CV34 4SX
Tel: 01926 412431