Plans for HS2's Balsall Common viaduct labelled 'hideous' by residents will go back in front of Solihull Metropolitan Borough Council next week.

The decision to grant planning permission for the 425 metre-long structure was deferred in July after HS2 was told it had not consulted residents properly.

The giant concrete viaduct will eventually ferry high-speed trains over floodplain land to the northeast of Berkswell Railway Station. Once finished, the line will connect London Euston with the Interchange Station at Arden Cross and Curzon Street in central Birmingham.

At a planning committee meeting on July 12, the decision was pushed back after a tense debate between parish councillors, residents, committee members and HS2.

The high-speed rail company was accused of "mushroom management" when dealing with locals – defined by a Balsall parish councillor as "keep them in the dark and feed them manure".

HS2 retorted by insisting designs have gone through several iterations and that landscaping proposals are 'continually developed in consultation with the local community'. Council officers had recommended the scheme for approval prior to the meeting.

The revised plans, to be discussed by the committee next Thursday, September 6, come after further consultation with residents and local authority figures. The latest application has also been recommended for approval by officers.

A design summit was held on August 2 and was attended by HS2, council officers, ward members and representatives from both Balsall and Berkswell Parish Councils. Talks have led to a series of new conditions added to the application that look to open better lines of communication between parties.

Prior to the installation of the viaduct deck, local authorities would now be consulted on the colour of the concrete used by HS2. They would also be involved in discussions around the patterning and the finishes to be used on the parapets – the edges of the viaduct that act as noise barriers.

A council report to be submitted alongside the application next Wednesday (September 6) reads: "The design of the viaduct has evolved considerably since the Hybrid Bill stage.

"Officers are satisfied that no other modifications are needed to the new buildings and other construction works that are necessary, to preserve the local environment or 56 local amenities, reduce impacts on road safety or the free flow of traffic or to preserve sites of historic or archaeological interest or nature conservation importance."