Sir Jon claimed the issue was an example of the UK’s “genuine problem” with completing major infrastructure projects.
He told the Rail Industry Association’s annual conference that HS2 Ltd had been required to obtain 8,276 consents from other public bodies in order to build phase one of the railway, between London and Birmingham.
He said: “People say you’ve gone over the budget, but did people think about the bats [when setting the budget]?
“I’m being trite about it, but I’m trying to illustrate one example of the 8,276 of these [consents].”
Sir Jon, who has led the project since Mark Thurston left his role as chief executive in September 2023, warned in January that the estimated cost for phase one had soared to as much as £66.6bn – compared to the £37.5bn forecast in 2013.
Source:
www.bbc.com
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