Bucks Council blasts HS2 over ‘woefully inadequate’ pothole repairs fund

Buckinghamshire Council has blasted HS2 for not committing more money to help repair roads damaged by the construction of the new high speed rail line.

The cabinet member for transport Steven Broadbent said: “At Royal Assent £2.5m was allocated by HS2 Ltd for the road reinstatement in Buckinghamshire which is woefully inadequate.”

The criticism of HS2 comes in its annual report on the new rail project, presented to councillors this week.

Separately, Buckinghamshire is set to receive £466,000 over five years from HS2’s pothole fund for minor emergency repairs.

The council said it had received two tranches totalling £186,000 and that funding of £116,516.25 for the third year was being processed.

However, the report added: “Buckinghamshire Council considers this funding to be wholly inadequate as recompense for the damage caused to our roads.”

The council also criticised the ‘flawed’ methodology proposed by HS2 Ltd to compensate for the damage incurred.

HS2 claimed it had completed ‘comprehensive’ surveys before construction and was working to reduce disruption during the construction of the new line.

A spokesperson said: “This includes creating our own temporary internal access roads to get heavy vehicles onto site, and using freight trains to deliver materials, which helps to take lorries off local roads.”

HS2 has allocated £3.95 million to the local authority for road safety projects. This money, which is being provided to the council across a three-year period ending in 2024, has helped support traffic calming schemes in the county.