HS2 Large Goods Vehicles on our roads

Schedule 17 of the HS2 Act sets out a process for road transport routes for Large Goods Vehicles(LGV's).

This covers movements on our roads by HS2 Ltd vehicles over 7.5 tonne (including their contractors or subcontractors vehicles) transporting goods from a strategic route (motorway or trunk road) to a working site, storage site, a site where it will be re-used or a waste disposal site.

There is no provision in the HS2 Act for how vehicles arrive at the strategic route. It is assumed that they will travel to and from the approved lorry routes using the most direct, suitable route.

Where LGV movements to or from a site, exceed 24 on any day, the contractor needs approval for use of that route from Buckinghamshire Council.

To secure approval applications need to be:

• made under Schedule 17 of the HS2 Act for movements to and from individual sites
• supported by a statement providing details of expected LGV volumes which generally includes an average and a peak number of expected movements per day; expected vehicle volumes are just one of a number of factors considered when determining whether a route should be approved for HS2 HGV movements

Some roads are used to access more than one site and will have been included in more than one Schedule 17 application, therefore the number of approved LGV movements will be combined. This can be particularly challenging when peak volumes to more than one site occur on the same day.

All LGV drivers are issued with a driver information pack which sets out which routes they should take to access each site from the nearest motorway or trunk road.

The information pack states that LGV drivers must:

• follow the route set out in their driver information pack to and between sites
• display an HS2 card in their cab window to indicate they are working on HS2 business when driving to or between sites
• follow the route that they used to access the site (but in reverse) when leaving the site but remaining on HS2 business
• remove the HS2 card from their cab window when finishing their shift or undertaking non HS2 related work

When leaving a site at the end of their shift or working day or to undertake non HS2 related work, drivers are advised to follow the route they used to access the site (but in reverse). This is not enforceable, however HS2 Ltd and their contractors are currently co-operating with Buckinghamshire Council by encouraging their drivers to comply.

Drivers should not use routes that are signed ‘No HGV’ or ‘No HS2 Traffic’, although these signs are only advisory.

Where local sub-contractors are used, it is assumed that they will travel to and from the approved routes using the most direct, suitable route (they are likely to have been using these routes regardless of the construction of HS2) and this will be specified in their Driver Information Pack.

In summary, this means that there are several scenarios in which HS2 LGVs may be seen on roads in Buckinghamshire that have not been specifically approved as lorry routes:

• where vehicles are travelling from their base to a trunk road or motorway to access an HS2 site either within Buckinghamshire or a neighbouring county
• local contractors travelling from their base to an HS2 site, and back
• where vehicles are leaving an HS2 compound/site at the end of their shift or working day, or to undertake non HS2 related work
• any other situation in which there are less than 24 vehicle movements per day
• where the approved lorry route has been closed and there is a diversion in place
• where instructed to do so by the Police, for example where there has been a road traffic collision

Buckinghamshire Council takes the free flow of traffic and road safety for all road users, extremely seriously.

The rules that are in place are intended to restrict the vast majority of HS2 LGVs to routes which have been evaluated, approved, and communicated to minimise the impact on other road users. However, as indicated above, there are some scenarios in which HS2 LGVs can legitimately use other roads across the county.

Each month a daily breakdown of actual HS2 LGV movements by site for the previous month is received, together with forecast volumes for the next month. This allows us to monitor actual volumes against the plan and identify potential issues. This gives us the opportunity to engage with contractors and agree mitigating actions, where required.

Where we hear reports of drivers not complying with regulations, we will consider site visits or the deployment of mobile CCTV cameras to investigate further and gather evidence. The evidence can be sent to the contractor to take appropriate action.

You can report an HS2 lorry that you believe is breaking the rules above to [email protected].

Ideally we will need:

• the date and time of the issue
• registration number of the vehicle

Plus any additional information, for example:

• type of vehicle
• markings or branding on the vehicle
• direction the vehicle was travelling
• photo (if possible)

You can also request the deployment of a CCTV camera in a specific location to monitor the activity of HS2 lorries.

If you require any further information or have any queries, please contact HS2 Ltd:

• Freephone:08081 434 434
• Minicom:08081 456 472
• Email:[email protected]