Historic England response to HS2 announcement
A Historic England spokesperson said:
“We have been working closely with HS2 Ltd for several years, advising on the potential impacts of the railway line on the historic environment. As the work progresses, we will continue to advise HS2 Ltd and the government to ensure that harm to historic sites and their surroundings is minimised where possible. Where historic buildings or archaeological sites are to be harmed or destroyed by construction of the railway, we will work to ensure our understanding of the past is advanced by proper investigation and/or excavation.”
Frequently Asked Questions
Why are listed buildings allowed to be demolished for HS2?
The legislation allowing Phase 1 of HS2 got Royal Assent in 2017. With respect to scheduled monuments and listed buildings, that legislation removed the usual controls, including those controlling demolition. As the Government’s heritage adviser, we have been working closely with HS2 Ltd for several years to ensure that harm to the historic environment is minimised and that, where historic buildings or archaeological sites are affected by construction of the railway, we improve our shared understanding of the past through thorough investigation and/or excavation.
What about natural sites being damaged by HS2?
Historic England is the government’s adviser on the historic environment rather than the natural environment. Questions relating to the natural environment should be directed in the first instance to HS2 Ltd themselves at [email protected]
