黑洞社区

Spending on consultants working on the first phase of the HS2 project is currently running 86% over budget, government spending figures have shown, with the revelation set to bolster opposition to the 拢43bn project.

An analysis by 黑洞社区 of the Department for Transport (DfT) HS2 spending to the end of February 2014 has revealed that HS2 Ltd has overshot its allocated 拢101m budget for four lots of professional services contracts by 拢87m, taking the total spend to 拢188m - 86% over budget.

The overspending is on contracts on phase one of the project that are being delivered by a host of leading consultants, including Mott MacDonald, Parsons Brinkerhoff, Atkins, Arup, URS and Capita.

Last November, 黑洞社区 revealed that HS2 Ltd had overspent on its civil engineering contracts by 拢11m, but since then the cost of civil engineering has risen a further 拢20m to 拢90m - 53% above the original stated budget of 拢59m.

黑洞社区 has analysed the spend on the three other professional services lots - environmental services, railway systems and land referencing - which are also all running over budget:

• Spending on environmental services consultants has rocketed 150% over its 拢31.5m budget, with spending now hitting 拢79m
• Spending on railway systems consultants has hit 拢12.8m, 60% over its 拢8m budget
• Spending on land referencing consultants is running 110% over its 拢3.1m budget, with spending rising to 拢6.5m.

The spending data shows that the biggest overspend on a single contract was for environmental impact assessments on the line between Warwickshire and Staffordshire. The contract, part of the environmental services lot, was undertaken by Atkins and cost 拢20.2m - nearly four times its original 拢5.5m budget.

IT is clear that the management of HS2 ltd have never had control of the budget

Penny Gaines, Stop HS2

The figures also show spending on a contract for environmental services on the line through Buckinghamshire, Hertfordshire, Oxfordshire and Northamptonshire, delivered by a consortium comprising Environmental Resource Management, Temple Group and Mott MacDonald, has risen to 拢20.4m, nearly three times its 拢7m budget.

The overspend on the consultant packages is likely to prove controversial as spending on the HS2 project has come under close scrutiny, after the government increased the budget for the construction of the line from 拢33bn to 拢43bn last year.

Although the scheme continues to enjoy cross-party support at the national level, it faces fierce opposition at the local level, and the Labour Party has warned that it could withdraw its support if costs spiral out of control.

Responding to the 拢87m overspend this week, shadow transport secretary Mary Creagh said there could be 鈥渘o blank cheque鈥� for the project.

She added: 鈥淟abour amendments to the [HS2] bill forced the government to report annually on the cost of HS2 to ensure there is transparency on costs and that any overspend is explained.

鈥淲e are still waiting for ministers to tell us when the first report will be published.鈥�

An HS2 spokesperson said HS2 鈥渉ad so far been delivered within its overall allocated budget for the project鈥� and the company was 鈥渙n course to remain within鈥� this budget for the current financial year.

The spokesperson declined to explain the overspend on consultants, but said that the consultants had helped 鈥減roduce a scheme that has an implacable approach to environmental mitigation, with the correct balance of engineering design鈥�.

However, Penny Gaines, chair of campaign group Stop HS2, said HS2 had 鈥渘ever had control of the budget鈥�.

She said: 鈥淚t is up to DfT and the government to ensure consultants keep to the budget allocated to them, but clearly they are failing on this.鈥�

Richard Houghton, spokesperson for HS2 Action Alliance, another group that opposes the project, said it was 鈥渘ot the first time鈥� HS2 Ltd had overspent and called for an independent review of its budget.

The DfT did not respond to a request for a comment.

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