ERM leads HS2 environment consortium

A consortium led by the ERM group, and including Mott MacDonald and the Temple Group, has won two of the final four Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) contracts for the proposed HS2 high-speed rail development in between London and the West Midlands of England.

The work covers the stretch of route, which has been the subject of the majority of environmental protest through north and north-west London, and rural Buckinghamshire, Hertfordshire, Oxfordshire and Northamptonshire, resulting in an increase of tunnelling in the outline construction plans through the Chilterns Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and adjoining areas. Each contract is worth around GBP 7M (USD11.10 M).

Other contracts awarded are to Atkins for the ‘Rural North’ section in Warwickshire and Staffordshire, worth GBP 5.5M (USD 8.72), and to Atkins, supported by URS, for the West Midlands metropolitan area covering the city of Birmingham and Solihull.

The contract winners will work with HS2’s own environment, design and engineering teams. The contracts are part of HS2’s Professional Services Framework arrangements. Each contract will contribute to the project Environmental Statement that will be deposited with other documents with

the project hybrid Bill is laid before parliament by the end of 2013.