Camden Council has failed to be impressed by the latest plans for the £2.25bn HS2 terminal at London’s Euston station.
The revamped proposals will take seven years longer than first forecast and cost an extra £250m just in construction without the additional costs of land purchase and compensation.
Camden said the eye-catching plans by the architect Grimshaw and the engineer Arup were ‘short-sighted’.
Photo from Grimshaw Architects
A spokesman said they would ‘bring more than a decade of blight, without any benefit to London, unless there is a commitment to the redevelopment of the entire Euston station and a joined-up approach to the delivery of station proposals’.
The work will be completed in two stages taking 16 years after construction begins in 2017, HS2 Ltd said.
Under the two-stage process, HS2 Ltd will oversee:
· The construction of six new high speed platforms and concourse to the west of the station to support the opening of HS2 Phase One (between London and the Midlands) high speed services in 2026
· The construction of five further high speed platforms and concourse to support the opening of Phase Two (between London and Leeds/Manchester) high speed services in 2033
Simon Kirby, HS2 Ltd chief executive, said: ‘These firm proposals will allow Euston to fulfil its potential. It’s time for Euston to change. Not just if it is to fulfil its historic role as the gateway between London and much of the rest of the country, but also if it’s to become a much bigger and fully accessible part of its own community.’
Transport secretary Patrick McLoughlin said: ‘HS2 offers a once in a lifetime opportunity to revolutionise not just Euston station but a whole area at the heart of London. The new station will be the catalyst for wider redevelopment and so it is right that we are ambitious in our plans to dramatically improve the design, capacity and technology used.
‘The plans outlined today are essential for the local community. These are the first steps towards creating a station in Euston of which both the local community and national passengers can be proud.’
