T0521 TRHS3006 HS2 Consents on the M6 Toll Road

The Secretary of State for Transport is the highway authority for the Birmingham Northern Relief Road (M6 Toll), which is owned and operated by Midland Expressway Ltd (MEL) via a Concession Agreement with the Department for Transport (the Client). The Client's objective is to discharge the function of highway authority for the M6 Toll, as described in the High Speed Rail Act (London to West Midlands) 2017 ('the Act'). The Act requires the HS2 project to obtain consent from relevant highway authorities for certain works (prior to the undertaking of these works) as part of the HS2 programme. Consent is achieved through consent package applications. HS2 Ltd's contractor submits applications for consent under schedules 33 and 4 of the Act to the highway authority of the relevant road. The highway authority reviews the package, which may contain multiple works or applications for consent, and returns consents, refusal of consents, or consents with conditions to HS2's contractor. The Client requires fair and impartial advice on the impact that the works contained within each consent package will have on the operation and asset of the M6 Toll with regard to safety, the free flow of traffic, and the road infrastructure. This advice must be provided in time for the Client to determine each application within 28 days of its receipt. Any Contractor conflict of interest must be declared, understood, and managed to the Client's satisfaction when appropriate.