It’s been rumoured heavily in the last few days, but today, Rishi Sunak has officially confirmed the cancellation of the planned HS2 rail link from Birmingham to Manchester, which was due to pass by the area.
As he stood at the lectern at the Conservative conference in Manchester, the PM said the HS2 project had exceeded the originally planned costs, and with the change in facts, a change in plans was required.
The impact on local wildlife, countryside and traffic levels during construction, were concerns that many Stone residents raised during the controversial plans to build the high-speed railway line. Whilst many will be breathing a sigh of relief, there’ll be some that will miss the promised increased capacity that HS2 was to deliver. Moving the high-speed trains onto the HS2 line, and freeing up capacity on the slower lines, many of which local residents use to get between nearby towns and cities, will no longer be an option.
As the prime minister delivered his speech, he vowed that all the money earmarked for the project would be spent on other transport projects such as road upgrades, east-west rail links and public transport.
Whilst they work out where to spend this cash, it would be great to see Stone get proper accessible access to both platforms at the existing station, as well as the re-introduction and bolstering of cut-back and cancelled bus services.
The PM said: “As a result of the decision we’re taking today, every region outside of London will receive the same or more government investment than they would have done under HS2 with quicker results,”.
As a regular commuter into Euston, the Prime Minister has also confirmed that the originally designated Euston terminus will still go ahead, however, the station rebuild will be taken out of the hands of the HS2 organisation and handed to the new Euston Development Zone in a move to improve accountability.
Following the Prime Minister’s announcement today on the future of the HS2 project, Staffordshire County Council leader Alan White said:
“Although we have been opposed to HS2 from the outset, we have remained committed to mitigating both the impact on this county and our people and to maximising the economic benefits to Staffordshire.
“While we understand that there has to be a ceiling to costs of such major infrastructure projects, HS2 has already had a significant, irreversible impact on this county.
“It is important Phase One is now completed as planned and the promised shorter journey times for residents are delivered and the wider growth plans for Stafford fulfilled. We will of course closely monitor future developments, including additional investment in Midlands infrastructure projects, and their potential impact on people and businesses in Staffordshire.”
This is a great victory for my constituents. I have consistently argued for scrapping the line between Birmingham and Manchester, and I am certain the Prime Minister has made the right call for the right reasons https://t.co/eypPuUMxbs
— Bill Cash (@BillCashMP) October 4, 2023
