Hertfordshire County Council of County Hall, Hertford SG13 8DE and London Underground Limited of 55 Broadway London SW1H 0BD are applying to the Secretary of State for Transport under section 6 of the Transport and Works Act 1992 for an Order authorising the construction, maintenance and operation of a new railway comprising the extension of London Underground’s Metropolitan Line to Watford Junction.

The works authorised by the Order are situated in the County of Hertfordshire, Districts of Three Rivers and Watford and comprise a railway commencing north-east of the bridge carrying Winton Approach over the Metropolitan Line railway, passing on a new viaduct over Baldwins Lane, Rickmansworth Road, the Grand Union Canal, Beggars Bush Lane and the River Gade, then passing over New Ascot Road and Ascot Road and along the course of the Croxley Green Branch Line railway, terminating north-east of the bridge carrying Wiggenhall Road over the railway by a connection with the Euston to Watford Junction Line railway. The works include new stations at Ascot Road and Watford Hospital, reinstatement of the junction of the Croxley Green Branch Line Railway with the Euston to Watford Junction Line railway, reconstruction of the bridge carrying the railway over new Ascot Road and Ascot Road, widening of the bridge carrying the railway over the former Cardiff Road, parapet strengthening works to bridges, the reconstruction and extension of the culvert between Beggars Bush Lane and New Ascot Road together with ancillary works to facilitate the construction of the railway.

The Order also authorises works on Network Rail’s operational railway to enable trains to continue to Watford Junction station including the installation of fourth rail power supply, platform extensions at Watford High Street and Watford Junction stations, reconfiguration of permanent way at Watford Junction station and the provision of signalling and traction power equipment.

The Order also includes provisions –

1. for the placing of apparatus in streets, the temporary and permanent stopping up of streets for the purposes of construction of the works, temporary interference with waterways during construction of the works, the discharge of water in connection with the construction and maintenance of the works, the removing, topping or lopping of trees in connection with the construction and operation of the railway and transfer of the former Croxley Green Branch Line and the prevention of obstructions;

2. to authorise the compulsory acquisition of land for the intended works and related purposes including the provision for exchange land, and to authorise the power to acquire new rights and impose restrictive covenants, the extinction of rights of way, the taking possession of certain of the land temporarily, and the appropriation of subsoil and airspace of any of the land in a street in which works are to be carried out;

3. to apply the provisions of certain enactments including the Compulsory Purchase Act 1965 and the Compulsory Purchase (Vesting Declarations) Act 1981 and to disapply provisions of the Water Resources Act 1991; and

4. to authorise the transfer of the works and powers of the Order to London Underground and/or Network Rail as appropriate.

The application is to be made subject to an environmental impact assessment.

The application contains a statement that a direction for deemed planning permission is being applied for.

It is anticipated that the scheme will involve the closure of the existing Watford Metropolitan Line station to passenger services. This will need to be authorised under a separate process set out in Schedule 8 to the Railways Act 2005 which will include the requirement for London Underground to give notice of the proposal in the local and national press. The notice will provide details of how objections to the closure can be made to the London Transport Users’ Committee, known as London TravelWatch.

Any objections to, or other representations about, the proposals in the application should be sent to the Secretary of State for Transport c/o Transport and Works Act Orders Unit, General Counsel's Office, Department for Transport, Zone 1/18, Great Minster House, 33 Horseferry Road, London SW1P 4DR, email transportandworksact@dft.gsi.gov.uk

An objection or representation MUST (i) be received by the Secretary of State on or before 17 February 2012, (ii) be made in writing (whether sent by post or email), (iii) state the grounds of the objection or other representation, (iv) indicate who is making the objection or representation, and (v) give an address to which correspondence relating to the objection or representation may be sent. (If you are sending your objection or other representation by e-mail, please provide a postal address.)

The Secretary of State may make complete copies of the objections and other representations public, including any personal information in them, and will copy them to the applicant for the Order. Objections which make reference to the proposed closure of the existing Metropolitan line service to Watford station may be copied to London TravelWatch for consideration in relation to the separate statutory process for the closure of that service.

Winckworth Sherwood LLP, Solicitors and Parliamentary Agents, Minerva House, 5 Montague Close, London, SE1 9BB.

On behalf of Hertfordshire County Council and London Underground Limited, applicants for the Order

6 January 2012