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Government seeks to protect land for Crossrail 2 development


The UK government has launched fresh plans to protect land in London from development work that would interfere with its planned Crossrail 2 project.

Crossrail 2 is the proposed north-east to south-west rail line through London into Surrey and Hertfordshire. The Department for Transport (DfT) said that it was consulting on proposed new safeguarding directions (26-page / 113KB PDF) to account for changes in the preferred route of the new rail line. Changes are envisaged to the Chelsea Hackney line (CHL) route, according to its consultation.

The Transport Secretary has the power to set aside land for future infrastructure projects and require local planning bodies to consult it on proposed developments on that land. "Safeguarding does not necessarily prevent other developments from taking place, but it ensures that when they do take place the design can accommodate the planned infrastructure," the DfT said.

The government has given businesses and other stakeholders 10 weeks to respond to its consultation.

"Safeguarding the route is vital to delivering Crossrail 2," Michèle Dix, Transport for London’s managing director for planning, said. "The new rail line could be delivered by 2029, providing shorter journey times across London and relieving pressure on suburban rail routes and existing Underground services. As the population in the capital continues to grow rapidly, this new railway would help support future economic growth and the delivery of many more new homes and jobs."

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