North Wales business and council leaders call for continued delivery of HS2 from Birmingham to Manchester

Concerns are mounting as business and local authority leaders from North Wales, the Wirral, and Cheshire West and Chester, join a growing chorus opposing the cancellation of HS2 Phase 2b from Birmingham to Manchester via Crewe. ‌​‌‌​​​‌‍‌​‌​‌‌‌​‍‌​‌​‌‌​​‍‌​​‌‌‌‌​‍‌​​​​‌‌​‍‌​‌​‌​‌‌‍‌​​‌​‌‌‌‍‌​​‌‌​‌​‍‌​​​​‌‌​‍‌​‌‌‌‌‌​‍‌​​​‌‌​‌‍‌​​‌‌​‌​‍‌​‌​‌​‌‌‍‌​​‌​‌‌‌‍‌​​‌​‌‌​‍‌​​‌‌​‌​‍‌​​​‌​​‌‍‌​​‌‌​‌​‍‌​​​‌‌​​

Speculation had been rife about a potential announcement regarding HS2 possibly being made this week.

However, the UK government might delay any such communication until the Autumn Statement scheduled for 22 November. ‌

Growth Track 360, a cross-party partnership, of representatives from north Wales and north West, have called on the UK Government for the continued delivery of HS2 from Birmingham to Manchester via Crewe for the good of the UK, the climate and the economy

Councillor Louise Gittins, Growth Track 360 Chair and Leader of Cheshire West & Chester Council, highlighted the HS2 as a pivotal part in the ‘Levelling Up’ agenda.

The project promises to modernise the UK’s rail network, making it ready for an expected growth in rail travel, critical for the shift from road to public transport to mitigate carbon emissions. ‌​‌‌​​​‌‍‌​‌​‌‌‌​‍‌​‌​‌‌​​‍‌​​‌‌‌‌​‍‌​​​​‌‌​‍‌​‌​‌​‌‌‍‌​​‌​‌‌‌‍‌​​‌‌​‌​‍‌​​​​‌‌​‍‌​‌‌‌‌‌​‍‌​​​‌‌​‌‍‌​​‌‌​‌​‍‌​‌​‌​‌‌‍‌​​‌​‌‌‌‍‌​​‌​‌‌​‍‌​​‌‌​‌​‍‌​​​‌​​‌‍‌​​‌‌​‌​‍‌​​​‌‌​​

The non-completion of the Northern leg threatens to leave the nation with an incomplete line, potentially wasting billions of pounds already invested in the planning and initial phases.

“The Government will have signalled that it judges that UK PLC cannot afford to Level Up and invest in the North,” warned Cllr Gittins, stressing the high stakes involved. ‌​‌‌​​​‌‍‌​‌​‌‌‌​‍‌​‌​‌‌​​‍‌​​‌‌‌‌​‍‌​​​​‌‌​‍‌​‌​‌​‌‌‍‌​​‌​‌‌‌‍‌​​‌‌​‌​‍‌​​​​‌‌​‍‌​‌‌‌‌‌​‍‌​​​‌‌​‌‍‌​​‌‌​‌​‍‌​‌​‌​‌‌‍‌​​‌​‌‌‌‍‌​​‌​‌‌​‍‌​​‌‌​‌​‍‌​​​‌​​‌‍‌​​‌‌​‌​‍‌​​​‌‌​​

Growth Track 360 Vice Chair and Leader of Flintshire Council, Councillor Ian Roberts, said the cancellation of the Birmingham to Manchester leg of HS2 “would be a symbol of failure.”

Cllr Roberts said: “Public transport in Great Britain is in crisis. We need leadership to develop it as an alternative to the car, which is necessary to decarbonise transport.

“We have a system where it is commonplace that trains are late or don’t run, bus services are withdrawn and passengers pay more for less.

“The price of curtailing HS2 today would be paid in the future with lost jobs, a lack of capacity in the UK to deliver future rail investment, a worsening of Britain’s competitiveness as a location and the deepening of divisions between different parts of the UK.”

Ashley Rogers, GT360 Business Representative, Chief Executive of the North Wales Mersey Dee Business Council, said: “Businesses have supported HS2 as a means of maintaining the competitiveness of the UK economy because good infrastructure enables economic growth and prosperity.

“It is important that Britain has transport infrastructure that is comparable to other developed nations to retain and sustainably grow its advanced industries and service sectors and to encourage further investment into the UK.

“HS2 is a critical means of creating additional capacity and improved service levels on the railways.

“Those improved rail services integrated with bus and active travel will take traffic off the roads and reduce congestion, exhaust pollution and carbon emissions.

“HS2 is fundamental to UK plans to improve economic productivity and mitigate against climate change.

“A decision to cancel the Northern leg of HS2 will waste previous expenditure on the scheme from Birmingham onwards and result in a sub-optimal route for the South and the Midlands with zero benefit for our businesses and communities in the North West of England and North Wales.”