HS2: protecting nature and boosting skills in Buckinghamshire

Working on board Cecilia, one of the Chiltern Tunnel’s boring machines. Video: HS2 Ltd

Around 5,200 jobs are set to be created by the two main contractors working for HS2 in Buckinghamshire, as construction work continues on Britain’s new low-carbon, high-speed railway.

HS2 is calling on the best of British engineering and skills to protect the natural beauty of the landscapes the railway passes through, including the Chiltern. The project’s innovative designs and construction methods are set to kickstart a number of skilled engineering careers.

Align – a joint venture of Bouygues Travaux Publics, Sir Robert McAlpine and VolkerFitzpatrick – has been appointed to deliver a 21.6km section of the railway from the outskirts of London through Buckinghamshire, including the new Chiltern Tunnel and the UK’s longest railway viaduct.

The 10-mile, twin-bore Chiltern Tunnel is designed to preserve the natural beauty and biodiversity of the landscape above by allowing trains to travel underground. Two 2,000-tonne, 170m-long tunnel boring machines, named Florence and Cecilia, recently started the three-year task of excavating the tunnel.

The 10-mile, twin-bore Chiltern Tunnel under construction. Image: HS2 Ltd

Construction of the Chiltern Tunnel will be supported by a dedicated team of around 120 people. Earlier this year, Align recruited nine apprentice tunnelling operatives, intending to use the project as a launchpad for some long and fulfilling careers in complex engineering.

Designed to fit into the natural landscape

In January, the first of five ‘headhouses’ – structures that will provide ventilation and emergency access to the Chiltern Tunnel – gained planning approval from Buckinghamshire Council, with excavation now well underway.

Visualisation of the Chalfont St Peter headhouse. Image: HS2 Ltd

Because these structures will be visible above ground, it’s important that they are designed sensitively to fit into the landscape. The Chalfont St Peter headhouse design is inspired by the barns and other agricultural buildings found throughout the Chiltern.

People living in the area responded to the design at a series of HS2 engagement events. HS2 also engaged with Buckinghamshire Council and the Chiltern Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty Review Group to develop the design.

Once the Chiltern Tunnel is complete, chalk excavated during the construction will be used to created new chalk grasslands across 127 hectares of the southern Chiltern Hills, around the tunnel’s South Portal. These wildlife-rich grasslands will be planted with 3.5km of new hedgerows and 65,000 trees and shrubs, representing 31 different species – increasing biodiversity in the Colne Valley.

Visualisation of the new chalk grasslands being created by HS2 in the Colne Valley. Image: HS2 Ltd

This landscaping project, approved by Three Rivers District Council and Buckinghamshire Council, will form part of 33 square kilometres of new wildlife habitats alongside the new railway – the equivalent of 23 new Hyde Parks lining the spine of the country.

Support for local people to build successful careers

Align expects to recruit about 1,200 people in all, and aims to upskill currently unemployed people from the local area to fill many of the roles. Recruitment will focus particularly on women, under-25s and people with disabilities. Their vacancies will also include more than 100 opportunities for apprentices.

Eiffage, Kier, Ferrovial Construction and BAM Nuttall (EKFB) are responsible for the next section of HS2, which will run the 80km from the Chiltern Tunnel to Long Itchington in Warwickshire.

EKFB have said they will recruit more than 4,000 people in Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire, Northamptonshire and Warwickshire to help build the railway. This will include more than 150 apprentices, some in construction and others in office and support roles.

Find out more about the jobs available with HS2 and its supply chain: www.hs2.org.uk/careers

Grants awarded for community projects

The scale of HS2 means that construction will have an impact on those who live and work nearby. Communities and businesses affected by the construction have the opportunity to apply for funding towards local improvement projects.

This funding comes from HS2’s Community and Environment Fund (CEF) and Business and Local Economy Fund (BLEF), both managed by Groundwork UK, an independent charity. In Buckinghamshire, more than 50 projects have already been awarded more than £3 million between them.

Ahead of the 2020 Summer Paralympic Games in Tokyo, a £250,000 grant is helping the National Paralympic Heritage Trust in Buckinghamshire to uncover, record and share local Paralympic history – such as the Finmere Show, which raised funds for the Paralymics for more than 30 years.

Paralympian Robin Surgeoner visited pupils at Radstone Primary School as part of an outreach project funded by HS2. Image: National Paralympic Heritage Trust

Communities and schools in Buckinghamshire and south-east Northamptonshire will be able to meet Paralympians, visit permanent displays and host exhibitions and artist residencies celebrating the area’s Paralympic heritage.

Vicky Hope-Walker, CEO, National Paralympic Heritage Trust, said: “We are delighted to have received this support because there are so many untold stories out there in these communities that we can uncover and share, stories that might otherwise be lost, and stories of real endurance that led to what we now know as the Paralympic Games, no ordinary feat. It is also an opportunity to share the history with young people who may not be aware of its local significance.”

Greater London Middlesex West Scouts has been awarded £217,000 to replace a run-down climbing wall at its PACCAR Scout Camp at Chalfont St Peter. The project will also include an artificial caving complex where young people can safely be introduced to caving.

The Chiltern Conservation Board has also received £120,000 to promote the area as being ‘open for business’ while HS2 is being built. The grant will fund six walking festivals and three food and drink festivals, strengthening the Chiltern reputation as a must-visit destination for culture and natural beauty.

Stay in touch, stay informed

HS2 realises that its work will impact residents, which is why there are many ways for people to stay informed and have their voices heard. Anyone can receive regular updates about the project – including notifications of upcoming works, how it’s being constructed and what is being done to make it less disruptive – by signing up at www.hs2.org.uk/buckinghamshire-and-oxfordshire.

People can also contact the helpdesk team who are available all day, every day to answer questions on freephone 08081 434 434 (includes minicom) or by emailing hs2enquiries@hs2.org.uk.