Northern Leaders respond to HS2 uncertainty

Amidst continued speculation surrounding plans to scrap the Birmingham to Manchester leg of the new high speed rail project (HS2), leaders across the North of England have voiced their concern to the government in a bid to insure the project is completed.

HS2 has been a flagship project within the governments levelling up agenda with the new high speed rail having the capacity to transform the economic geography of the country by better connecting cities throughout the Midlands and North West to London.

Mayor of Greater Manchester, Andy Burnham, and Leader of Manchester City Council, Cllr Bev Craig, have written to the Prime Minister to express concern about the future of HS2 and Northern Powerhouse Rail.

They wrote: “For over a decade, we have worked closely with successive Governments on this project, to galvanise support and maximise the once in a generation opportunity of investment into northern infrastructure it offers. At this stage, any change to the current plan for HS2 would have massive ramifications not just for our city-region but the North and Midlands too.

“Our purpose in writing, first and foremost, is to ask you for the courtesy of a meeting before any final decision is taken. We believe we are owed that at the very least.

“If you were to agree to that, we would convey to you in the strongest possible terms that HS2 should not be scrapped. We believe the North of England needs new North-South and East-West rail infrastructure and should not be forced to choose between them in the same way that London hasn’t been forced such a choice.

“If you refuse to accept any of what we are saying, we believe that people here will conclude that your promises to level up the North, on which this Government was elected, are utterly meaningless.”

Also responding to the uncertainty around the future of HS2, Greater Manchester Chamber of Commerce’s Policy Director, Chris Fletcher, said: “Once again the north has been promised the earth but all it seems we’ll get is scorched earth.

“For the government to even be thinking about scrapping the northern leg is just madness and I find it difficult to comprehend the logic behind it. It neither makes sense economically nor politically. All we have had over the last decade are cut backs, delays and disappointments. This latest episode is the most serious threat yet and we urge government to think again.”

Tracy Brabin, Mayor of West Yorkshire, added: “HS2 would link the three great cities of Leeds, Manchester and Birmingham and help boost economic growth right across the country. Scrapping the project in the North of England will damage jobs, investment and the economy and leave plans to level up in tatters.

“Big infrastructure projects need long-term commitment over successive governments. There must be a better way than this piecemeal ‘stop-start’ approach that we have seen from this government.”

By Mark Adair – Correspondent, Bdaily

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