Government steps in to prevent HS2 delay at Old Oak Common

The government has intervened to break a long-running planning deadlock at Old Oak Common after approving a key Network Rail construction site that officials warned was critical to preventing further delays to HS2.

Transport ministers have now granted permission for a temporary lineside compound near the Great Western Main Line in west London, ending a four-year dispute that had threatened to push parts of the HS2 programme back by at least another year.

The approval allows Network Rail to develop a construction and logistics base at Horn Lane, close to the future Old Oak Common interchange, where HS2 services will eventually connect with the Elizabeth line and Great Western Main Line.

The site will also include a road-rail access point needed to support ongoing rail infrastructure works around the station development.

The decision was formally approved through a Transport and Works Act Order by local transport minister Lilian Greenwood on behalf of Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander.

The move effectively overturns an earlier recommendation from Planning Inspector Malcolm Rivett, who rejected the application in 2024 following concerns over noise impacts, disruption to local businesses and the suitability of alternative sites.

At the centre of the dispute was whether work could instead be carried out from the nearby Hitachi Rail North Pole Depot, which the planning inspector argued was a more suitable location.

However, Network Rail and HS2 Ltd strongly opposed that option, warning it could interfere with maintenance operations for existing high-speed rail fleets and potentially create wider disruption across the national rail network.

Officials also argued there was no practical alternative location capable of supporting the scale and operational requirements of the Old Oak Common interchange project.

Further complications emerged because parts of the land required for the compound were owned by both the Crown Estate and private developer Bellaview Properties Ltd, creating additional legal and acquisition challenges.

The government first signalled its intention to approve the scheme in early 2025 through a conditional “Minded to Approve” notice while negotiations continued over land access arrangements.

Key breakthroughs were eventually secured later that year after the Crown Estate agreed to voluntarily transfer its section of land, allowing the Department for Transport to proceed with final approval.

In its decision, the government concluded that the national importance of the HS2 and Great Western Main Line interchange outweighed competing development interests linked to the site.

Ministers have also introduced a series of operational restrictions aimed at limiting local impacts, including a cap on overnight railway works and requirements for environmental management controls throughout construction.

To accelerate delivery, the government reduced the notice period for land possession from six months to six weeks and extended Network Rail’s temporary site access powers through to 2031.

In the formal approval letter, Greenwood said there was “a compelling case in the public interest” for allowing the project to proceed.