HS2 – Britain’s Biggest Build.

Berrys were approached by our clients SYSTRA (world leaders in the design and construction of High Speed rail infrastructure) to assist them in securing Schedule 17 consents for the construction of HS2.

How We Approached The Project

The High Speed Rail (London-West Midlands) Act 2017 provides deemed planning consent for the construction of HS2. However, this deemed consent included conditions requiring detailed (Schedule 17) approvals for the construction and design of the various assets that make up HS2. These Schedule 17 approvals are sought from the relevant local planning authority, ensuring that there is a level of local planning control over HS2 works.

As part of Berrys work on HS2, we were approached to lead on the preparation of Schedule 17 Consent applications along a stretch of HS2 known as Sublot 7, which runs north from the village of Curdworth through Warwickshire, between Sutton Coldfield and Tamworth, towards Lichfield. One of the Schedule 17 applications prepared in the Sublot 7 area was for ‘Drayton Lane Cutting, including the A453 Sutton Road Overbridge and Drayton Lane Overbridge’.

The importance of such cuttings to HS2 is explained in this video.

How We Achieved The Project

A pre-application enquiry was prepared and submitted to Lichfield District Council Local Planning Authority (LPA) in May 2023 to obtain the views of the Council on the proposed scheme.

Once feedback had been received, Berrys worked with SYSTRA colleagues in various discipline teams including Design, Engineering, Landscaping and Ecology, based throughout the world to amend, and provide further justification for, the proposed scheme. An application for the scheme was subsequently submitted to the LPA in November 2023 and rapidly gained approval in December 2023. The approval imposed only a single condition, requiring that the development be carried out in accordance with the approved plans and specification.