Sunak blocked identical Euston HS2 plan

Rishi Sunak blocked a Lendlease-led, private sector plan to build HS2’s Euston station when he was chancellor, just three years before adopting a near-identical version last week. The prime minister last Wednesday stripped the HS2 organisation from running the Euston project, citing mismanagement and spiralling costs. He said Euston needed a private finance partnership to get a grip and keep down costs. The Euston plan includes the link to Old Oak Common in west London. However, the former chairman of HS2, Allan Cook, said Sunak was offered a near-identical private partnership plan in 2020 by Lendlease, but rejected it. Lendlease said it welcomed the line going to Euston and that it was committed to developing the area: “We look forward to working collaboratively with partners to deliver this and help unlock the full potential of the area for everyone who lives or works there.” The Times (£)