TWO homes and a parade of shops have been spared demolition after High Speed 2 rail chiefs scrapped plans to build a huge vent shaft close to South Hampstead overground station.

To the fury of people living nearby, the structure of around 100 metres was due to replace the Grade II listed 1-8 Langtry Walk. But HS2 Ltd, which is working on the controversial new line running from London to Birmingham and cities in the north, said a “technical review” by its experts had found it no longer needed to build the shaft.

Shafts in this context are generally used to provide ventilation to tunnel and emergency access.

How the shaft would have been constructed

Hampstead and Kilburn MP Tulip Siddiq, who has raised resident concerns over the shaft in Parliament several times, said: “The pollution and disruption that would have been created by the proposed vent shaft was unacceptable, and the upheaval to local residents’ lives even more so. It is high time that HS2 Ltd. began to engage and communicate more effectively with residents to ensure that further unnecessary building does not take place.”

She adde: “HS2 construction will still result in chaos on our roads and the demolition of local homes, and as such, I will continue to seek further mitigation in the months ahead.”

Hs2 said it now believed the space between vent shafts in Brent and one being dug in Adelaide Road, in Chalk Farm, was adequate to build the tunnel into Euston.

Town Hall transport chief Councillor Phil Jones said that HS2 Ltd had “listened” to residents’ concerns and “dropped its plans”, but warned: “We know that there will still be substantial negative impacts from 17 years of HS2 construction across Camden, including on residents in the area around the Adelaide Road ventilation shaft.”

A HS2 statement said: “To remove either of the other two ventilation shafts would not allow HS2 to meet safety and ventilation requirements. By removing the Alexandra Place ventilation shaft from the plans, HS2 can confirm that the shaft and associated head house building will not be constructed.”

It added: “The building accommodating 1-8 Langtry Walk will now not need to be demolished by HS2. The shops and workshops above, will remain. There will no longer be any requirement for HS2 to use the car parking spaces at Dinerman Court and Alexandra Place will no longer need to be closed.”