North ‘must plan own links to HS2’

Speaking at an HS2 conference at Huddersfield University, Lilian Greenwood said local and regional plans cannot be developed in London.

“We believe it’s time for Whitehall to let go,” said the Labour MP for Nottingham South.

Ms Greenwood said the West Midlands transport authority has already developed detailed plans for connecting Birmingham’s new Curzon Street station by light rail, buses and pedestrian routes, and the new Rail North group of local transport authorities in partnership with passenger groups could play a similar co-ordinating role in Yorkshire.

“This is a project for the country as a whole. But the reality is that the Midlands and the North are starting from a lower base line in transport infrastructure,” she added.

“If the right plans are in place, the new line can be a spur to growth and the benefits will be felt more keenly here.

“That’s why the business case grows stronger the further north you go.

“Already there are calls from other areas to extend the network to their towns and cities.”

In spite of senior Labour figures including Ed Balls, Alistair Darling and Lord Mandelson raising doubts over HS2, Ms Greenwood insisted the party has always supported the project but will be looking to new HS2 chief Sir David Higgins to drive down the £42.6bn costs.

She is meeting him next week to discuss how to minimise the £14.4bn of contingency spending.

Ms Greenwood, who was appointed to her role in January, told the audience: “It’s a sad fact that only two economic regions which are contributors to the Treasury – London and the South East and the East of England.

“We must address that imbalance for the sake of the North and the country as a whole.

“Building modern transport infrastructure is clearly part of the answer.”

The conference – HS2: Is there owt in it for t’North? – also heard from Barry Sheerman, the veteran Labour MP for Huddersfield.

He said the constant churn within Government departments of Ministers and civil servants makes it difficult to develop large infrastructure schemes over the long term.

Mr Sheerman also claimed the HS2 project had not been properly thought through, ignored changing business trends and lacked democratic accountability. It could also end up costing £80bn.

He added: “Any party in opposition has to be pretty damn careful about what they sign up to.”

Jason McCartney, the Conservative MP for Colne Valley and a member of the Transport Select Committee, told the conference he passionately believes in HS2, but believes the project will be shunted into the sidings.

“I’m sorry to say that this conference is a complete and utter waste of time,” he said.

“I just can’t see the North-South railway will go ahead. A cynical coalition will stop it from happening.” He warned that four groups of opponents would come together to scupper the project – localists, political opportunists, well-intentioned rail enthusiasts and “those against everything and for nothing”.

Colin Elliff, a chartered civil engineer from Harrogate, told the audience of industry experts, politicians, academics and chamber of commerce representatives that HS2 does not work as a railway project. He claimed it would only improve 44 journeys, while making 135 worse, and outlined a counter “spine and spur” configuration he said would improve the vast majority of railway journeys and be 25 per cent cheaper to build than HS2.

David Horseman, president of the Mid Yorkshire Chamber of Commerce, told the audience he was initially supportive of HS2, but became more sceptical the more he learned about it.

“Why build a motorway with no junctions?” he asked.

The Yorkshire Post was media partner for yesterday’s event.

This newspaper’s Big Debate project has been exploring the issues to bring together the views of key opinion-formers, politicians, business leaders and readers about HS2.