Leaving the Station Hybrid Bill for Phase 2B Starts its Journey Through Parliament

Today sees the Hybrid Bill for the current proposed Western leg of Phase 2B of the HS2 line from Crewe to Manchester starts its journey through Parliament towards Royal Assent.

The bill has been deposited in Parliament with all supporting documentation and will move towards its first reading in the House of Commons. Following this first reading, there will then be a public consultation on the environmental statement before the bill reaches its second reading, where the principles of the bill will be established. 

Following the Bill’s Second Reading, affected parties will be allowed to submit a petition to the Bill, seeking changes and assurances from HS2 Limited to mitigate the impact of the scheme, such as protective provisions and asset protection. Petitions cannot be used to object to the principles of the bill. The period for petitions will be open for 25 calendar days. Petitioners will then have the opportunity to be heard by the Select Committee over the course of 2022–2023, and any changes to the bill or additional provisions and assurances granted will be debated in a third reading.

Having been through the Commons, the bill will then follow a similar process through the House of Lords. Although petitions will be heard in the House of Lords, additional provisions or changes to the bill to take additional land to mitigate the impact of the scheme can only be achieved at the House of Commons stage. 

Any amendments to the bill that are made in the House of Lords will then be debated in the Commons before the final bill is enacted and royal assent granted.

It is expected that the bill will take about 3 years to go through Parliament and achieve Royal Assent, with construction expected to commence in 2025 and ultimately the line open between 2035 and 2040.

If you are impacted by the proposed bill, then please do not hesitate to contact our CPO and HS2 specialists.