ITC completes national HSR workshop series
The Independent Transport Commission (ITC) has been running a major work stream investigating the spatial effects of High Speed Rail (HSR), and the opportunities that an extended network might bring to the UK’s cities and regions. Public and media perceptions of the potential of High Speed Rail have been strongly focused on the speed of the journey, rather than on the benefits it could generate in terms of improved connectivity, increased capacity across the system, convenience, and economic synergies. Following a Call for Evidence in late 2012, which drew a strong response and raised wide-ranging connectivity and impact issues, the next stage of the project is fostering the exploration of these issues and improving collaboration at the city-region level through a series of workshops in key regions during the Spring and Summer of 2013.
The workshops all involved a number of leading stakeholders, including representatives from the combined authority and local government, academics, business leaders, transport specialists, and experts who had responded to the ITC’s Call for Evidence. The format of the evening workshops involved short presentations on submissions to the Call for Evidence, followed by a structured discussion of the likely spatial effects of HSR chaired by ITC Commissioner John Worthington.
Birmingham city-region
The first of these workshops took place in Birmingham on the evening of 18th April, and was kindly hosted by Glenn Howells Architects in their splendid meeting room with views over the city and the site of the proposed new HSR station. Representatives from Network Rail, the Department for Transport (DfT) and Birmingham City Council were in attendance alongside more regionally focused organisations such as local architectural practices, the local airport authority and surrounding municipality local authorities.
- There were local concerns that the
Black Country might become excluded
from the benefits HSR can bring to
the region. The importance of
regional co-operation and good
governance was a recurring theme:
this was seen as essential if the
spatial benefits of HSR were to be
fully captured. A number of
participants argued for stronger
regional leadership and greater
clarity about the purpose and
identity of the wider city-region. - Airports are an important aspect of
capturing the spatial effects of HSR.
In Birmingham there is an excellent
opportunity to create a travel hub at
Birmingham Airport and make better
use of its spare capacity. - To
capture the spatial benefits of HSR
additional investment is required in
local small-scale connections which
were often vital. This should be
seen in the context of reform of our
planning systems, perhaps giving
greater autonomy to city regions in
decision-making so that we counteract
the deep-seated attachment to
centralized control of such
decisions, and take into account
local aspirations. In addition,
better communication was necessary so
that the local business community
understood the spatial benefits that
such infrastructure could bring. - The need to identify small projects
that can begin soon in order to
improve the chances of success once
HSR is built. For example, Birmingham
could improve connections under the
current raised rail line so that the
proposed station does not become a
barrier. In addition, Network Rail
replaces half its infrastructure
every 20 years – by the time HSR is
built there is a great opportunity to
ensure that the local rail network is
well-positioned to capture the
connectivity advantages of the High
Speed line. - The need to speed up
innovative thinking and bypass
entrenched viewpoints by stimulating
local co-operation and developing a
regional vision for the places HSR
will serve. Such networks and
political/social engagement will be
vital if city-regions such as
Birmingham can capture the spatial
benefits of HSR.
Leeds and Yorkshire region
The second of these workshops was held on the evening of 7th May for the Leeds and Yorkshire region. This was kindly hosted by Carlsberg UK at Tetley House with excellent views across Leeds South bank redevelopment area and the site of the city’s proposed new HSR station. Attendees included representatives from local councils within the Leeds City Region as well as local groups such as Leeds Sustainable Development Group, SusTrans, Yorkshire for HS3 and HS2 Ltd.
- We should consider carefully the
impact of HSR on second-tier,
peripheral towns in the wider region
such as Hull and Middlesbrough. Such
places could see disbenefits as
investment shifted towards first-tier
cities with HSR connections. Other
experts disagreed, and pointed to
benefits that HSR could generate for
such towns, including more frequent
standard rail services as a result of
released capacity, and the economic
advantages of being plugged into a
more successful regional hub city. - A recurring theme was the need to
address the sustainability impacts of
HSR. A number argued that
developments around HSR nodes should
be designed so that they create
compact, livable and higher density
sustainable communities. Others
warned that in car- friendly cities,
such as Leeds, without reappraising
the paradigm of urban living, HSR
could result in additional car travel
and congestion as users drive to the
station. - Many participants noted
that it would take 20 years for HSR
to begin serving Leeds, and the
region should respond appropriately
to this long wait. Some expressed
concern that areas such as Leeds
south bank would be blighted for
decades as developers waited for HSR
to arrive before investing. As a
result, it was even more important in
the meantime to identify actions and
investment in the region that would
strengthen connectivity and enhance
the quality of place. - Create a
positive and pro-active approach,
bringing together the public,
business and civic communities to
collaborate across the regions in
order to establish a vision for each
city’s own future. The evidence
presented by the Leeds Sustainable
Development group (LSDG) highlighted
the role of civic society and the
catalytic role HSR could have in
bringing together the public, as well
as business and civic sectors around
a common aim of improving livelihoods
and making better places. - Cities
and regions must develop a strong
case for rail investment based on
their own economic needs and
strengths. For example, Tees Valley’s
strengths are in petrochemical
industries and its ports: as a result
additional freight capacity is a key
need. The resulting narrative for HSR
must be clear about the economic
advantages of the project in terms of
jobs and business investment. - The
development of local and national
networks will be important for
preparing the ground for HSR so that
it fully benefits the North of
England and could contribute to the
rebalancing of the UK economy in
favour of the North. Local groups
should ensure they submit high
quality submissions to forthcoming
consultations, including the Phase 2
HSR consultation, and the Network
Rail market studies (which are
currently open for consultation).
Local/regional interest groups should
also start preparing their case for
rail investment and understand any
current or potential capacity
constraints ahead of the next Rail
HLOS that is due to be completed in
2017.
Manchester city-region
The third workshop in the series on the 23rd May in Manchester for the North-West region, kindly hosted by Bruntwood in City Tower with superb views across the region and the site of the proposed HSR city centre station. Attendees included representatives from AECOM, Network Rail and Transport for Greater Manchester, alongside local authorities, property developers and image consultants.
- Important benefits to the North-West region could arise from improved rail capacity for both freight and passenger services on the national network, better local and international connectivity, additional inward investment as a result of that connectivity, and the catalytic effects of HSR on local and regional regeneration.
- High Speed Rail stations have the potential to become gateways into the region, both nationally and internationally (when connected to Airports). This makes it particularly important that HSR stations are well designed and well connected to local transport services. Several delegates noted that it would be critical to provide good connections to second-tier cities such as Oldham and Bolton if they also were to benefit from the HSR hubs at Manchester Airport and Manchester city. It was added that the Northern Hub is a pathway for this, putting in place the local connectivity in advance of HSR. Others pointed out that station design would be important at a local level in order that the stations could encourage regeneration and do not become a barrier to pedestrians. At Manchester Airport delegates warned that the station should not ‘sit in a field’ but be plugged into local redevelopment.
- The special governance structure in Greater Manchester, whereby the city, surrounding districts, and transport executive worked together as the Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA) was thought to be an advantage in terms of preparing for the opportunities that HSR would bring. The Authority and the LEP also shared the same boundaries and this was expected to help in the formation of a common agenda to prepare for HSR.
- Business leaders highlighted the benefits of HSR for local enterprise and employment. These benefits included a greater catchment area for employment, the ability to attract a wider pool of talented people, and the improved links that HSR would provide to mainland Europe. A participant from the creative sector stressed the potential impact HSR could have on Manchester’s identity as a leading European centre of creativity and innovation.
- Messages have to be made relevant to the experiences of ordinary citizens. Current initiatives by local transport user groups to map and make more legible the connectivity between various modes of transport should be supported.
- A regional partnership should be developed in order to promote a connected and positive vision of the benefits of HSR for the region. It was agreed that Manchester and the North-West had a strong brand which had international appeal. The mood of the workshop was of a city region confident and optimistic about its aspirations and expectations for the future. The Government and HS2 Ltd were encouraged to invest in such a partnership in order to bolster regional support for the project.
- Enhanced investment in local and national transport would be critical. The ‘Northern Hub’ rail upgrade and associated schemes were deemed a prerequisite for making the most of the benefits of HSR. Others argued that the prospect of HSR should be used as a catalyst to stimulate this transport investment, much of which should take place regardless of the HS2 scheme. Awareness of the way HSR would change the geography of the North would also be important, recognising the combined strength of the Manchester, Leeds and Sheffield City Regions.
London and South-East mega-city region
The fourth workshop in the series on the 25th June was held in London for the Greater London and South- East region, kindly hosted by Grosvenor in their auditorium in Mayfair. Attendees included representatives from transport providers such as Transport for London, Network Rail and Siemens, alongside property developers, engineering firms, academic institutions, and private consultancies.
- HSR must be part of an integrated
transport system, including road
transport, the national rail network
and airports. In the London region
this will require careful thought,
especially around the proposed
interchange stations and the link
with High Speed 1. Old Oak Common
could become a transport super-hub if
properly connected with Heathrow, and
the site is more accessible than
Euston within the Greater London
area. Crossrail 2 will, nonetheless,
be an essential step towards
improving Euston’s accessibility. The
legacy of poor station access can be
extremely costly, so a strong vision
for urban and transport integration
at each site will be critical. - There are major economic benefits
arising from major transport
infrastructure projects, and HSR
plans should be used to capture this
opportunity. In London, good examples
exist of the potential of major
transport projects to unlock local
growth, and lessons can be learned
from experience with Crossrail and
the Jubilee Line Extension. The
transport capacity benefits for the
London region arising from HSR and
Crossrail could be significant, and
have the potential to boost economic
and population growth. - In order to
capture the benefits of HSR a grand
plan is needed for integrating it
into the nation’s infrastructure. A
special delivery vehicle such as a
National Networks Policy Statement,
might also be necessary to provide
confidence for private sector
businesses and developers. - HSR has
the potential to spread the wealth of
London and the South-East to the
regions. Plans for HSR must build in
good connectivity if the project is
to rebalance the UK economy. A major
challenge will be how our cities can
act collaboratively in order to
realize gains. - When planning HSR
we should learn from the experience
of High Speed 1 in building a broad
base of support. Delegates heard
examples of how communities in Kent
had been won over by the convenience
of HSR services to and from Europe
and London. Careful thought should be
devoted to engaging those who are
negative or unwilling to participate
in the project, and inter-regional
HSR stations similar to Ashford
should be reconsidered. - Transitional projects can be set in
motion even where certainty does not
exist about the final timescale and
shape of the HSR network.
Establishing a UK High Speed Rail
network is a generational project
with many associated projects
required to maximize its value. The
commitment to HSR could stimulate
such projects to happen. Crossrail at
St Giles Circus was a catalyst to
bring the different planning
authorities together and stimulate
fresh solutions to movement and land
use. - At Kings Cross/St Pancras
during the twenty years of
negotiation, interim uses of the site
and in the surrounding areas
established a vibrancy and changed
perceptions of the area. We were
reminded by the developer that
development is unpredictable: ‘you
need to believe and act, with the
ability to adapt to changing
circumstances’.
Concluding Symposium
To conclude the series, and review the findings, we hosted a Symposium on 23rd July This event, to be held at the Alan Baxter Gallery near Farringdon Station (map attached) in central London, was designed to bring together all the invitees and participants in the series so far, and tease out conclusions from the workshop series. The Symposium opened with a number of short presentations from leading experts on HSR, including David Prout of DtF, Sir Peter Hall of UCL, and Dominique Laousse of SNCF. This was followed by a structured discussion in small groups about the key issues arising from the workshop series, and ended with feedback and conclusions. Unlike our regional workshops, the Symposium was a larger event and national in focus, affording the opportunity for all to participate in the discussion.
Professor Sir Peter Hall
Prof Sir Peter Hall of University College London (UCL) drew on the French example of HSR. He stressed that HS2 must be combined with regional regeneration and that it has the danger of failing to connect with regional networks if not done correctly – it is critical to integrate the regions. Citing two French examples (Lille and Montpellier), Hall praised the French model for HSR and noted that the key to their success has been through creating good public transport feeder links to integrate all the networks. Hall emphasised that France exhibited a more interventionist methodology to their transport policy.
David Prout
David Prout, Director General of HS2 for the Department for Transport, explained the difference between the two phases of HS2: that phase one to Birmingham is about capacity, and that phase two (the Northern extensions) are concerned with greater connectivity and linking up with the other parts of the country. He notes that new construction via HS2 is the only feasible option to release capacity for more long-distance passenger services on the West Coast Main Line. He suggested HS2 will greatly improve links to Manchester, Leeds and beyond.
Dominique Laousse
Dominique Laousse, Head of Foresight and Innovation at SNCF, France’s leading rail provider, took a slightly more technical approach to HSR, suggesting that we need to shift from the traditional ‘productivist’ transport economic model of limiting design principles to a new ‘collective progress’ mobility economics model that incorporates new design logic and allows transport to act as an incubation platform.
Focused Discussion Groups
During the second half of the evening, the delegates were broken into seven themed discussion groups that covered varying perspectives: place shapers, transit providers and operators, places of connection, policymakers, spatial overview, economic success, and learning from experience. Each group was asked to discuss a series of questions surrounding governance, connectivity, and other issues in relation to HSR and HS2 in Britain. Each group was asked to come up with headline points that emerged from their discussion and feed them back into the group. The key issues that emerged from the group discussions are:
- It was suggested that the DfT’s
criteria for funding are an obstacle
to the successful development of HS2.
Their criteria is highly focused on
speed but a slower interchange may be
the better option than HSR. The other
criteria that DfT outline are not
tangible enough and the question on
how to evaluate them still stands.
The place-shapers in particular were
concerned that there is more value in
human interaction around stations
than in the speed of the rail, which
the DfT criteria do not address. - The place-shapers thought that HS2
is happening in a vacuum of regional
planning, which is very much in
contrast to France, for example, who
had the advantage of a strong public
planning system. It was thought the
LEP’s could play a role in the
development of HS2, but they have no
funding available. Although
Manchester has a strong
city/region-wide leadership and
capacity that has built up over time,
Birmingham and Leeds are behind.
Indeed, a strong national leadership
is required for the successful
development of HS2, combined with
significant local input. However, the
example of Christchurch in New
Zealand demonstrates that too much
local action can be disruptive to
strategic development, and that
continuation of a team is important
for the successful development of any
major project. - The main question
that arose was: is transport the
answer to connectivity? The train is
the means to the end. It’s more than
just a train. In order to properly
assess the connectivity benefits, we
need to consider the way our
lifestyles and travel patterns are
changing. Will we use the train less
for commuting in the future, and see
it more as a place to work? We need
to recognize that travel time is the
least important benefit of HSR,
whereas jobs and increased
productivity are key components. - We
need to rethink the way we do
transport appraisal in Britain. We
are wedded to an economistic
approach, but not all benefits are
quantifiable. In France a much wider
concept of the benefits from HSR are
used, including issues relating to
quality of life and integrated
transport. To improve the UK approach
will require knowledge and ideas from
other sectors. - Look at the big
picture so the public understands the
benefits. It is clear we can’t solve
everyone’s problems, but if you think
of them as part of the wider picture
it may contribute to a better
understanding. Public confidence is
essential to get HSR built. - There
is a need for integration of systems
in the regions with connections
between city centres. This requires
long-term planning and it specific to
each city yet also requires cities to
work together. There is a need to
challenge how we operate and think as
a country. Additionally, There is a
need to connect HS2 with other rail
as well, such as HS1. Overall, we
need better coordination between
various forms of transport
development (ie. Crossrail, aviation,
HS2) to make the system more
resilient for the future. - The right
delivery structure for HSR is
critical. To avoid the problems
experienced by Ebbsfleet on the High
Speed One line, we should look at
creating a Single Purpose Agency to
deliver HSR projects and have
compulsory purchase powers in the
Hybrid Bill. Without such leadership
projects will flounder from a lack of
ambition and a loss of confidence
from the private sector.