Move comes after Nottinghamshire and Leeds demand 鈥渋conic鈥� stations to be built in their cities in return for supporting the project
HS2 has committed to put its station and line designs through a full design review process after northern local authorities called for 鈥渋conic鈥� stations to be built in their cities.
The commitment comes as Crossrail, which is due to finish construction as HS2 ramps up, is embroiled in a controversy for shunning the use of design review on 27 of its outer London stations.
Architect Richard Rogers has said poor quality station design could 鈥渟car communities鈥� for 鈥渁 century鈥�.
In the last week, Nottinghamshire and Leeds councils, both set for major HS2 station developments, have said the design quality of the stations will be a key component in HS2 gaining their full support.
The South Yorkshire Passenger Transport Executive, the key public body overseeing the development of the Sheffield station, said it also had 鈥渟imilar ambitions鈥� to its neighbouring authorities.
Ben Ruse, HS2 spokesperson, said the 拢43bn project had a 鈥渦nique opportunity鈥� to design the line and stations in a way that demonstrated 鈥渁rchitectural integrity and aspiration鈥�.
He said: 鈥淭o help us to achieve this we are commissioning an independent design review panel to act as an advisory and critical body in achieving the design vision for HS2.
鈥淭he panel will review all aspects of HS2鈥檚 design, including the stations for phase one and two of the scheme.鈥�
RIBA President Stephen Hodder, who has criticised Crossrail鈥檚 decision not to go through a design review of its outer stations, praised HS2鈥檚 commitment.
He said: 鈥淏ritain鈥檚 Victorian railways were once the envy of the world, fusing cutting edge engineering and stunning architecture with a civic vision of progress and prosperity鈥� Victorian Britain didn鈥檛 achieve so much without harnessing the knowledge, expertise and vision of skilled practitioners at the very top of their game and in the modern-day design, planning and development process, design review can ensure we do the same.鈥�
He added that a design review process would 鈥渆nsure value for money for the taxpayer鈥� and 鈥渕aximise every opportunity to innovate鈥�.
Architect and Labour peer Richard Rogers praised the use of design review. 鈥淔irstly it [the project with design review] shouldn鈥檛 cost more, it should work better and it should look better and we all enjoy something that looks good,鈥� he said.
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