Bircham Dyson Bell LLP has been appointed by HS2 Ltd in a two year contract.
The contract is to provide legal advice to its consultants on all aspects of planning, environmental appraisal, public consultation and blight management.
“Work will begin with immediate effect, and we’re very pleased to have engaged with the major projects team at BDB who have a strong track record in this sector and genre of legal work,” said Alison Munro, Chief Executive, HS2 Ltd.
HS2 Ltd and the Department for Transport are currently holding a public consultation on HS2 covering the Government’s proposed strategy for a wider network linking London, the West Midlands and Manchester and Leeds, and the proposals for a route from London to the West Midlands.
If the Government decides at the end of this year to go ahead with high speed rail, HS2 Ltd would do further detailed design work and an Environmental Impact Assessment on the London to West Midlands line, and a hybrid bill would be introduced in 2013.
They are also currently working on the line of route and station locations of the extensions to Manchester and Leeds.
HS2 is meant to provide jobs in the North. Instead, they have hired consultants in Sussex and now a London based firm of solicitors! Big cultural problem at the helm.