Ambitious tasks to redevelop land round Stafford’s railway station and create a brand new “garden community” within the north of the borough is not going to be affected by the scrapping of plans for the HS2 line between Birmingham and Manchester, a council chief has stated. The Stafford Station Gateway scheme, which is ready to see brownfield land regenerated to create new houses and business area, and the proposed Meecebrook growth of 6,000 new houses close to Yarnfield had been set to profit from the controversial high-speed rail line.
HS2-compatible trains had been set to swap to the West Coast Main Line at a junction at Handsacre to link to the developments. But Prime Minister Rishi Sunak introduced this week that Phase 2a of HS2 – which might have run by way of Stafford Borough – was being axed and the £36bn saving was as an alternative being earmarked for transport enhancements throughout the nation.
The transfer has been welcomed in Stafford Borough by those that have voiced sturdy opposition to HS2 for the reason that second part route was introduced greater than a decade in the past. Speaking at Thursday’s cupboard assembly (October 5), council chief Aidan Godfrey stated: “As you recognize the Prime Minister has cancelled the road from Birmingham to Manchester and that might have affected the borough.
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“None of the tasks that we’re contemplating or hope to have sooner or later will likely be affected by this choice – they’ll nonetheless go forward. In reality, in some ways some issues will change for the higher – the variety of trains by way of Stafford we anticipate to improve.
“But we’ve got to take a look at the injury that is been performed to the county to get to the place we’re. It’s not simply folks’s property, it is wildlife, the timber and the setting.
“We need to know from Government two things; one, how much of the (£36bn) are we going to get in Stafford Borough to improve our transportation? Secondly, people’s lives have been disrupted to get to where we are now – how are they going to be compensated and how is the countryside going to be put back to what it was?”
Stafford Borough Council’s Conservative opposition group stated: “We welcome the information from the Prime Minister of the scrapping of the HS2 railway line north of Birmingham and the re-investment of £36bn into native transport infrastructure that may profit our communities regionally in Stafford Borough, in addition to throughout the broader West Midlands and the north. The impression that constructing the train line would have had on all in our communities regionally would have been important over a protracted interval, which now could be minimised by way of utilizing the present out there rail capability on the West Coast mainline.
“We look forward to the government’s reassurance of the commitment to the Handsacre link as part of Phase One and also that Stafford, as an economic centre, will continue with the plan to benefit from classic compatible trains. An upgrade of the West Coast mainline and to Stafford station to a multi modal integrated transport hub should be a priority so that it can continue to attract businesses and retail to the county town and make best use of the previous rail infrastructure and other investments that have been made over the past 10 years within the borough.”
Last week HS2 representatives attended a Staffordshire County Council assembly to talk about the venture, whereas hypothesis was happening round whether or not or not Phase 2a would go forward. Work was persevering with on Phase One, which runs up to Fradley, and a few preparatory work had additionally taken place in areas of Stafford Borough.
Staffordshire County Council’s chief Alan White stated: “Although we’ve got been opposed to HS2 from the outset, we’ve got remained dedicated to mitigating each the impression on this county and our folks and to maximising the financial advantages to Staffordshire. While we perceive that there has to be a ceiling to prices of such major infrastructure tasks, HS2 has already had a major, irreversible impression 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.”
