Warwickshire County Council has opposed Government’s high speed rail scheme (HS2) in its draft response to the public consultation.
A report to an internal council committee highlights the arguments against HS2 ahead of Warwickshire's official response.
Central to their opposition to the £32 billion scheme is the lack of consideration being given to the alternatives to HS2 and that it offers poor value for money for the taxpayer, together with a flawed economic case. HS2 Ltd, the company behind the scheme, has won support from some businesses, but in fact 70 per cent of the anticipated passengers will be leisure users.
The report adds that the county council agrees that Britain’s rail infrastructure needs improvement but is asking for more detailed consideration to be made of alternative options, including the upgrading of the existing West Coast Main Line, before a decision is made on HS2.
On June 30 the Overview and Scrutiny Committee will be considering the report which will go before the county council’s cabinet on July 14. The county council resolved last December to oppose the scheme.
Cllr John Whitehouse, Chair of the Communities Overview and Scrutiny Committee, said: “Members have major concerns and unanswered questions about the current HS2 proposal, especially around the business case and the potential impact of the project on local communities across Warwickshire. We need to ensure that we submit a robust response to the public consultation from the county council.
“We will be examining the draft response in detail and representatives from both HS2 Ltd and the Department for Transport will be attending the committee meeting to answer questions from councillors.”
The county council has been working with borough and district colleagues, members of the 51m group which represents the local authorities along the route, the action groups and HS2 Ltd to gather data and information about the scheme and its likely impact on Warwickshire.
Using the information collected the county council has now produced the draft response to the consultation which, after being considered by the cabinet next month, will be submitted before the close of the consultation on July 29.
Cllr Bob Stevens, Deputy Leader of Warwickshire County Council, said: “The proposals give rise to many issues for Warwickshire which have been considered including the economic and environmental impact, the impact on emergency services, the severance of land and the impact on footpaths and rights of way and the road network.
“From Warwickshire’s point of view it is clear that the county will gain very limited economic benefit and will be adversely affected, to a degree that makes the proposal unsustainable in our opinion.
“Based on the information presented in the consultation, there are concerns raised about the national benefits of the scheme and indeed the county council refutes the claim that there is an overriding case for HS2 being in the national interest.”
For more information on the county council’s views and for a link to the report and supporting documentation
visit Warwickshire County Council's website here
NFU comment
NFU planning policy adviser Ivan Moss said: “As this major project will impact on farmers, more than any other group, we will continue to provide them with advice on the process as well as ensuring farming interests are taken into account during the consultation period. We will also arrange meetings for our members during the consultation process.
“If the project goes ahead then the Government must recognise the impact of the proposals on farm businesses. There must be full compensation and mitigation where possible and the costs of this must be fully assessed at this stage. We will aim to secure the best deal for all NFU members whose farming businesses will be affected by the proposed route of this new high speed rail line.”
Read more in our HS2 channel here on NFUonline
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