Talk of relaunching HS2 project through Newcastle draws condemnation
Talk of reopening plans for a high-speed rail-line through Staffordshire has brought renewed criticism on behalf of affected residents.
Graham Shaw, Deputy Leader of Newcastle-under-Lyme Borough Council, has restated the authority’s opposition to a high-speed line between Birmingham and Manchester, saying that the project would not benefit the borough, its residents, nor the environment.
While the northern leg of the original HS2 project was abandoned by the Government, the Mayor of Manchester Andy Burnham has previously raised the prospect of a similar high-speed line connecting to Birmingham through Staffordshire. Now the newly elected MP for Makerfield, during the by-election campaign Mr Burnham said that if he were elected and subsequently became Prime Minister then he would reinstate the HS2 rail-link.
Any line would pass through the Madeley and Whitmore areas, where homes and farmland have already been compulsorily purchased by HS2 Ltd.
Coun Shaw said:
HS2 has been a money pit that caused misery for local people and left taxpayers with the bill.
Anyone talking about bringing it back clearly hasn't learned the lessons of one of the biggest failures of delivery by Government. Newcastle-under-Lyme wants no part of it."
As part of the council’s opposition to a renewal of plans for HS2, Council Leader Jonathan Gullis has also written to Heidi Alexander MP, Secretary of State for Transport, asking her to join him in opposing the resurrection of a project that would see ‘more good money follow bad’.