HS2 'must go ahead' despite court ruling
BUSINESS leaders in Derbyshire have said it is vital that the High Speed 2 rail project goes ahead – despite a High Court ruling that says the consultation process for compensating those affected by the route "was so unfair as to be unlawful".
The decision in the High Court yesterday was a victory for the High Speed 2 Action Alliance (HS2AA).
The HS2AA case on consultation was one of five separate cases that sought to stop the controversial scheme in its current form – but it was the only one to succeed.
This prompted rail minister Simon Burns to say it was "a major landmark victory", which effectively gave the "green light" to HS2.
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The second phase of the £32 billion scheme, running from Birmingham to Leeds, passes through parts of Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire and Leicestershire.
The proposed route, scheduled to open in 2033 and published by the Department for Transport in January, will see HS2 cut through north-west Leicestershire, passing under East Midlands Airport. It will then go through Long Eaton and then roughly follow the path of the M1.
The HS2 project is designed to cut journey times, ease overcrowding and boost regional business.
Ian Greenaway, president of the Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire Chamber of Commerce, welcomed the fact that only one of the five judicial reviews was upheld.
He said: "This is welcome news. HS2 is a critically important piece of transport infrastructure which will unlock huge economic benefits not just for Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire and the East Midlands, but for the UK as a whole.
"Recent chamber research indicates that 58% of our members support the HS2 extension's proposed locations at Toton Sidings and Meadowhall, with 84% of those businesses believing this enhanced connectivity will benefit the economy.
"HS2 will provide the capacity and step-change in connectivity needed to bring London and the regions closer together."
The Government said it would not appeal against the compensation ruling but would hold another property consultation "picking up the points" raised by Mr Justice Ouseley. And it insisted that rerun consultation would not affect the HS2 construction timetable "in any way".
Mr Greenaway said: "Some business plans are already being impacted by the development of HS2 and it is important the issues surrounding compensation are resolved quickly so businesses can make decisions about their future. Any delay will have an adverse effect on the economy."
Comments
by janine2011
Saturday, March 16 2013, 1:38PM
“The travelling times to Toton will negate any savings in time this HS2 will bring but it is okay to rip up swathes of countryside to lay the tracks. With no mention of the tickets prices the I have the feeling it will only benefit the very wealthy as the prices will be beyond the reach of most train travellers.”