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Crossrail 2 Safeguarding Consultation Response

My Honourable Friend, the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Transport (Robert Goodwill) has made the following Ministerial Statement:

I am today publishing a response document summarising the views given during the consultation on updating the Safeguarding Direction for the proposed Crossrail 2 rail project, and providing the Government’s response.

The Government has considered the responses to the consultation carefully, and the Secretary of State has decided to issue the safeguarding Direction with changes at Wimbledon, Wandsworth Common, Angel and Soho Square. The updated Direction will come into effect from today.

Crossrail 2 is a proposed new rail line across Central London, running from New Southgate and Tottenham Hale in the north-east to Wimbledon in the south-west. The route passes through the City of Westminster, the London Boroughs of Barnet, Camden, Enfield, Hackney, Haringey, Islington, Merton, and Wandsworth, and the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea.

Safeguarding is the first stage in the planning process. It enables the Secretary of State for Transport to issue a Direction to local planning authorities to protect land needed for long-term infrastructure projects. 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 response document will be made available on the Department for Transport website. Copies of the response document, the Direction, guidance and associated maps have been made available in the libraries of both Houses.