HS2 creates more than 120 jobs with new Brackley office

The HS2 office in Buckingham Road will be used by support staff working in planning, design, finance and administration. The premises are COVID-secure to ensure staff and visitors are safe at all times.

The new Brackley operation will also have an induction centre for workers joining the wider HS2 programme. In total, over 120 new posts are being created and are set to support the area’s economic recovery in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic.

Engineering feat

EKFB, comprising civil engineering and construction companies Eiffage, Kier, Ferrovial Construction and BAM Nuttall, is carrying out the main building works for HS2 in Oxfordshire, Northamptonshire, Buckinghamshire and Warwickshire. The 80km (50 mile) section of the low-carbon railway features 81 bridges, 15 viaducts and three ‘green’ or ‘cut-and-cover’ tunnels, two of which are near Banbury.

These ‘cut-and-cover’ tunnels, at Chipping Warden and Greatworth, will blend into the landscape as part of HS2’s goal to minimise the railway’s environmental impact and create a ‘green corridor’ for the new spine of Britain’s rail network.

Extensive work has also been carried out to safeguard protected species around Banbury and Brackley, including bats, great crested newts and badgers, as well as important bird, plant and invertebrate species.

More capacity for our railways

Even if you don't use HS2, you may still feel the benefits, as it will also reduce congestion on the area’s surrounding rail and road routes – and cut carbon emissions – by creating more space on the existing rail network for local, regional and freight services.

Sub-national Transport Body Midlands Connect believes HS2 will enable more frequent passenger services between Banbury, Oxford, Leamington Spa, Warwick, Solihull, Coventry, Birmingham International and Birmingham Moor Street.

For example, their Birmingham Airport Connectivity rail improvement scheme would utilise additional network capacity created by HS2 to double the number of services from Banbury to Coventry and Birmingham International from one to two trains per hour.

Jobs and skills

HS2’s main construction works started in September and 4,000 jobs are set to be created by EKFB as the project gathers pace. New roles include more than 150 apprentices in construction, as well as office-based or support roles.

EKFB is also co-ordinating a free construction training course for 200 local residents who are currently unemployed or searching for a new career opportunity. Delivered in partnership with Apple Construction Training and Buckinghamshire College Group, the one-week programme is accredited and can lead to work placements and job opportunities.

EKFB offers further courses through its Construction Industry Training Board-funded Training Hub in Fenny Compton, which has trained over 400 people within the last year.

Economic boost

HS2 will need a diverse range of skills and services, and business leaders have urged local companies to get involved in this once-in-a-generation project.

Neil Wild, chair of Banbury and District Chamber of Commerce, said: “The HS2 build – and the associated works – bring with them a range of opportunities for local businesses. If you are interested in getting involved, I would urge you to engage with the HS2 team and find out more. It is better for everyone that local businesses provide goods and services wherever possible.”

Elena Gonzalez, EKFB’s social value manager, said HS2 will provide an economic boost to communities for years to come and thousands of jobs were already being created.

She said: “Our new office here in Brackley is just one of the ways HS2 is making a ‘real-life’ difference and we’d urge local people and local businesses to get on board with the opportunities we’ll be creating. We’ll need a broad range of skills to build the railway and our apprenticeships provide great opportunities to learn new skills or retrain.”

Supporting community projects

There are also opportunities for community groups with the HS2 Community and Environment Fund (CEF) and the Business and Local Economy Fund (BLEF). Projects worth £40 million are being supported by HS2 along the route between the West Midlands and London, with the funds managed by an independent charity, Groundwork UK.

In Banbury and Brackley, 15 projects worth more than £710,000 have already benefited from CEF awards including village halls, play areas and an historic football club.

HS2 stepped in when Brackley Town Football Club suffered a devastating fire in June 2019. A £75,000 CEF award allowed the National League North side, founded in 1890, to rebuild the clubhouse that was destroyed in the blaze at St James Park.

Francis Oliver, chairman of Brackley Town FC, said the new clubhouse is set to open next spring and bookings were already being taken. He said: “We are extremely grateful to HS2 who have been a major benefactor to the project. Without their help, we would not have been able to build such a splendid building for the community. Our doors will be open to local community groups and we want the venue to be the event centre for Brackley and the surrounding areas.”

The HS2 Helpdesk can be contacted by email, freephone and minicom service all day, every day, for all queries about the new railway. Call 08081 434 434 or email: [email protected]

More information on HS2 in Banbury and Brackley is at: https://hs2inbucksandoxfordshire.commonplace.is or https://hs2innorthants.commonplace.is

HS2 fact file

HS2 is the biggest infrastructure project in Europe and will create 30,000 jobs at peak construction

The first part of the high-speed rail network, called Phase One, passes through Oxfordshire and Northamptonshire

The Oxfordshire/Northamptonshire section is part of the 140-mile route between London and the West Midlands

The high-speed railway will then extend to the North, connecting 30 million people and will complement regional transport plans, including Midlands Engine Rail and Northern Powerhouse Rail.

The Phase One trains will run on the dedicated ‘high-speed’ line that’s being built now and will run north-east of Banbury and east of Brackley

People will benefit from HS2 even if they don’t use it because HS2 will free up space on the existing network for more local and regional trains

HS2 will also free up space on existing lines for freight trains – so there’ll be fewer lorries on the roads

HS2 Ltd is delivering an unprecedented programme of tree planting and habitat creation alongside the new railway – with up to seven million new trees and shrubs set to be planted between London and Birmingham alone

Discover more at www.hs2.org.uk