HS2 Green asset management, maintenance & monitoring

As part of the HS2 Act, HS2 has a legal requirement to mitigate its environmental effects. In addition, HS2 has a requirement through agreements with the Department for Transport to provide environmental benefits. These requirements and provision of benefits include the provision of green assets. Much of the land that HS2 has acquired has been done so temporarily to construct HS2. Some of this land is being used as mitigation sites, replacing and enhancing biodiversity and landscape. Once construction of the permanent railway and associated green assets are completed, land and the green assets situated on that land, that are not required to operate the railway, will be handed back to the original landowner. However, some green assets will be kept within HS2 management on a temporary and permanent basis. These green assets, include, but are not limited to the following: • Woodlands • Grasslands • Hedgerows • Ponds, ditches and other non-engineering related drainage features • Habitat, including bat houses, reptile banks and hibernacula. Each of these green assets have environmental aims and objectives which can only be achieved through effective monitoring, maintenance and management (MMM). The green assets are currently being delivered by the Main Works Civils Contractors (MWCCs). MWCCs are contractually obliged to provide MMM of assets, until such time as the land is no longer required for construction of the end railway. Once completed, it is intended to transfers the management and maintenance of these green assets back to landowners. However, until this can be achieved green assets will be transferred back to HS2 for an interim period meaning that the management and maintenance liabilities reside with HS2 in the interim. HS2 require a Supplier to undertake the MMM of these assets during this period. It is therefore important for HS2, that MMM of green assets in this interim period continues to happen to ensure that; • Our mitigation sites meet their design objectives • We achieve our NNL requirements and deliver the Green Corridor ambitions • We ensure compliance with the EMRs and other licence conditions imparted on HS2 by statutory bodies such as Natural England • We avoid unnecessary reputational damage from failure of habitats and associated programme issues (cost and schedule) of rectifying. In cases where green assets transfer back to landowners, then HS2 needs to ensure monitoring of those assets, for the reason outlined above. Additional information: The market engagement registration can be accessed via the online Smart Survey: https://www.smartsurvey.co.uk/s/R2ILJ4/