Source · Select Committees · Public Accounts Committee
Recommendation 6
6
We are already concerned about the volume of complaints on disruption from the programme which...
Conclusion
We are already concerned about the volume of complaints on disruption from the programme which does not bode well for the future as more communities will be impacted as construction progresses. HS2 Ltd estimates it has handled 124,000 queries over the past three years and interacted with over 76,000 people along the route. It is engaging with the supply chain, its contractors and local MPs to help inform communities about its work. However, the number of complaints from the public about High Speed 2 has increased as main construction on Phase One has started. Complaints to the Independent Construction Commissioner HS2 rose to 86 in the first quarter of 2021 from 74 in the previous quarter. The majority of complaints are about the impact of construction on roads and traffic, vegetation clearance and about noise and vibration. Due to the scale of the programme and the time until the railway is complete, complaints are likely to increase as the programme progresses. It will be critical for HS2 Ltd to develop a way of embedding the lessons it has learned into its day-to-day processes, so that mistakes from Phase One are not repeated in Phase Two, and that community engagement and environmental concerns are more proactively addressed by the company. Recommendation: The Department and HS2 Ltd should write to the Committee within three months setting out how they intend to resolve the issues around community engagement and the environment observed by the Committee in this report. HS2 Summer 2021 9 1 Progress with Phase One delivery
Government Response
Acknowledged
HM Government
Acknowledged
6.1 The government agrees with the Committee’s recommendation. Recommendation implemented 6.2 The department wrote to the Committee in November 2021 detailing its current efforts to resolve issues around community engagement and the environment. 6.3 Substantial improvements have already been made with regard to community engagement and complaints management. HS2 Ltd has observed a steady decline in the level of complaints received, from a highpoint of 268 in February 2021 to 123 in September 2021. Similarly, HS2 Helpdesk enquiries have declined from 15,598 in the first quarter of 2021 to 10,993 in the third quarter. This reduction has taken place in the context of increased construction activity throughout 2021, and may be attributed to new measures introduced by HS2 Ltd since the second HS2 6-monthly report to Parliament in March 2021. 6.4 For complex and/or technical issues, the department has established a small team of construction inspectors to provide an expert and objective perspective. The construction inspectors report to the HS2 Minister and the HS2 Senior Responsible Owner and support the assurance of the delivery of works along the route. They carry out routine site inspections and are additionally deployed to examine issues of local concern and provide an independent view for the department. 6.5 With the new measures already underway to improve HS2 Ltd’s approach to community engagement and with the right culture of respect and continuous improvement, the department is confident that HS2 can be an exemplar in how individuals and communities are treated when large infrastructure projects cause disruption to people’s lives. 6.6 Further information on the steps being taken to minimise and compensate for any adverse environmental impacts are to be published in in HS2 Ltd’s first Environmental Sustainability Progress Report. This report will provide a clear and up to date account of HS2’s environmental impacts and the important work that is being done to minimise and compensate for any adverse environmental impacts. Alongside this, HS2 Ltd plans to publish a refreshed environmental sustainability vision, setting out the future ambition for how the project will further support the government’s decarbonisation and nature recovery objectives.