• THE council understands that residents are concerned about the closure and clearance of open spaces including Euston Square Gardens and St James Gardens later this year.

We are pushing HS2 Ltd to provide more information on its plans for trees and for open spaces to remain open for as long as possible before they are needed for construction.

Last month the council held a work­shop with community and business stakeholders, Network Rail and HS2 Ltd, to begin discussions to help the council develop the key principles of the Euston Station area planning brief.

At the workshop we asked questions to facilitate these initial discussions, which included asking attendees about their views on reviewing the layout of Euston Square Gardens when reinstated following HS2 construction work.

No decisions have yet been made.

We recognise Euston Square Gardens is a valuable, historic and protected green space, and that this needs to be reflected when the planning brief principles for Euston are developed.

We are planning wider consultation on these principles in May, followed by a full consultation on the planning brief next year.

The planning brief work is being developed at the same time as HS2 Ltd’s next phase of station design and is intended to inform and be informed by this work.

We are committed to securing the best long-term outcomes for Euston station and the surrounding area for residents, businesses and visitors, and will continue to push for this at the highest levels of government.

CLLR PHIL JONES
Cabinet Member for Regeneration,
Transport & Planning