Douglas Oakervee
has been appointed as the new chair of HS2 Ltd, the independent
company set up by the Government to deliver a high speed rail
network between London and the North of England. He will commence
working with the HS2 Ltd team in April.
Mr Oakervee has had a long and distinguished career, with
significant experience of working on major infrastructure
projects. Between 2005 and 2009 he was Executive Chairman of
Crossrail Ltd during the project's Hybrid Bill phase. He
has also been a Project Director at Chek Lap Kok International
Airport in Hong Kong, with responsibility for planning, design
procurement and construction.
As Chair of HS2 Ltd, Mr Oakervee's primary
responsibilities will be:
Formulating the Board's strategy;Ensuring that the
Board, in reaching decisions across its full remit including the
route design and environmental assessment, takes proper account of
guidance provided by the Department for Transport or the Secretary
of State;Encouraging high standards of regularity and propriety;
and,Promoting HS2 to the general public.
The appointment is for a period of 3-5 years, however
re-appointment is possible, if mutually agreed, to a maximum of
ten years. The salary range for this post is £120,000 - £140,000,
with the new Chair expected to spend at least two days per week in
HS2 Ltd's offices in central London.
Transport Secretary Justine Greening said:
"HS2 is a railway which will transform the economic
shape of the UK, so finding the right person for this role is
vital. I am delighted that Doug has agreed to take on this
important position, bringing with him decades of experience of
working on major infrastructure projects. The next few years
include a number of key challenges and milestones for this project
and Doug's input will be invaluable as we move forward. I
would also like to thank the current Chair, Brian Briscoe, for his
invaluable work in leading HS2 Ltd this far."
Doug Oakervee said:
"I am excited about my appointment and passionate about
the development of UK’s high-speed rail network and HS2 is a great
step forward. I believe that HS2 offers a unique chance to address
the capacity issues facing the British transport network and to
promote growth in our major cities. I will use my experience of
the Hybrid Bill process at Crossrail to ensure that HS2 Ltd is
best able to efficiently navigate this stage of the project."
Notes to Editors
1. This appointment falls within the remit of the Commissioner
for Public Appointments and will be made in accordance with the
Code of Practice for Ministerial Appointments to Public Bodies.
All appointments are made on merit, and political activity plays
no part in the selection process. However, in accordance with the
original Nolan recommendations, there is a requirement for an
appointees’ political activity (if any is declared) to be made
public. Doug declared that he has no political activity. 2. HS2
Ltd is an Executive Non-Departmental Public Body (NDPB). It was
also established as a Companies Act company, limited by guarantee,
on 14 January 2009. It has a sole member, the Secretary of State
for Transport, for whom it is remitted to undertake work. 3. HS2
Ltd is funded from the public purse by grants-in-aid. The
company’s objective was to ‘advise the Secretary of State for
Transport on the development of proposals for a new railway line
from London to the West Midlands and potentially beyond’. 4.
Following a decision by the Secretary of State for Transport to
proceed with a London to West Midlands route, the remit has
extended to: · undertake further work and provide advice to enable
the Department to deposit a hybrid Bill with Parliament in October
2013, in order to gain Royal Assent by May 2015, in respect of the
London to West Midlands line. · the delivery of a safe and
affordable route design; assessment of the environmental impacts
of this design and production of the Environmental Statement; and,
the consultation with all relevant bodies on aspects of the
proposals.; · developing routes from the West Midlands to Leeds,
with a connection to the East Coast Main Line, and to Manchester,
with a connection to the West Coast Main Line, and a spur to
Heathrow, to include appropriate engineering designs and
sustainability appraisal and the implications for the whole Y
network. · prepare materials and provide advice to develop and
inform future consultations Press Enquiries: 020 7944 3108Out of
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