Work is continuing on the controversial high speed line through Lichfield despite speculation on whether or not the project will go ahead north of Birmingham, county councillors have been told.
Questions have been raised in recent days about plans for the high speed rail route between Birmingham and Manchester
Earlier this year it was revealed that construction of the section to Crewe was to be delayed by two years, with rising costs being highlighted as an issue.
But representatives from HS2 Ltd told members of Staffordshire County Council yesterday (28th September) that while work in some areas was being paused, in parts of the first phase – which runs up to Lichfield and the surrounding villages – it was still taking place.
Paul Mullins, a community engagement manager for HS2 Ltd, said:
“I think it’s fair to say HS2 is quite topical at the moment and there is lots of speculation about what may or may not happen about the project. But for us in this moment in time, the steer from the Government is it’s very much going to go to Manchester.
“There are a couple of areas that are currently paused; some of those elements are in my area in Phase 1 and Phase 2a. And there are some elements of work that will take place – that work is largely around roadworks and utility works.
“In Drayton Bassett, Swinfen and Packington there are works around the A5 and Watling Street overbridge that will still take place and around the A453 and Drayton Lane. In the Whittington to Armitage area we still have a number of overbridges and our Cappers Lane compound will still remain operational for a lot of staff based there.
“At the A38 we’re about to refresh our communications on that because currently we have one of the sliproads closed. Works on there are still progressing and we hope to open that again in springtime next year.
“Some of the compounds we will temporarily close around the A453, Wood End Lane and Shaw Lane. Those compounds will be secured and we will have security strategies around any areas that are paused
“What we need to remember is in a lot of these areas we’ve probably spent the last couple of years preparing to start work – that’s establishing site boundaries, setting up internal haul roads and establishing some compound locations.
“In some of those areas where we have done a large amount of earthworks and excavations, we will go along those areas, we will seed it with a mulch and seed mix and that will grow to re-green all those areas, rather than leaving them as large brown strips or scars on the landscape.”
Paul Mullins, HS2
“A major impact on the aggregate industry”
Cllr David Smith, who represents the Lichfield Rural South area, said there were other issues that needed to be considered too, including the impact on the county’s aggregate suppliers.
“I have five quarries in my division, all of which are looking to be major suppliers to HS2, and with what we’re looking at now it’s going to have a major impact, together with housebuilding, on the quarry industry.
“What’s happened will have a major impact on the aggregate industry. I think we need to look at how we can work together so that we can see a reduction in the aggregate requirements.
“When we look at the impact this is having on my division, where it comes straight through the middle with an enormous scar, I don’t think the story looks particularly attractive. I think that until we resolve what’s going to happen finally with HS2 it’s going to be a terrible mess.
“What we’re going to have is what they say will be making all the routes grassed over and looking reasonable. But we are still going to have ugly fencing all the way along.
“Are we going to have at Lichfield a railway line that goes to nowhere, or are we going to make an argument politically that we should be looking at a terminal station where the line does actually go somewhere?
“I think that there’s the opportunity for us to argue the case for a station, possibly at Fradley, where we could see the benefits to north Birmingham and Staffordshire of a station, or following on from the end of HS2 we could link up with the West Coast Main Line and provide a fast route going north.”
Cllr David Smith, Staffordshire County Council
Electrifying the Alrewas line up to Burton and making this a double line again and joining it to the Phase One/Two HS2 lines would allow high speed trains to run from the East Midlands and further north at a relatively low capital cost. There would seem to be room for a station local to Trent Valley proving a hub and interchange for those travelling to and from Manchester but wanting the high-speed link from Lichfield to London without increasing capacity on the northern section of the NWML. It has the great advantage of not increasing capacity on existing lines south of Burton or north of Trent valley.
The problem for Lichfield is do we or don’t we? Does Lichfield want to grow rapidly, bringing massive investment or do we want to remain a relatively small urban dormitory city? I urge, our MPs and Councillors to get around the table now and move quickly on this. Burton could easily do this instead and miss out Lichfield.
Strange how the Elizabeth Line Across London was umimpeded.
It shows the govenment thinking doesn’t extend north of Watford.
Time to get rid of Tories at every level of society.
Everyone along the route asking for bobs and bows to be added, no wonder costs are spiralling out of control.
cut back on plant (machinery) portacabins that are clearly excessive by any means, 2 years to prepare is unbelievable, but to stop now after all the suffering caused to many would be unjustified.
I’m quite content with Lichfield staying as it is, but there is an opportunity here for, jobs, schools, leisure facilities , surgeries, arts, etc that investment would bring. Oh yes and house prices would rocket. But hey ho!
@ John…I am sorry but I can’t agree with you. The Lichfield area has had much of the pain and none of the gain. If it was for ‘the greater good’ there might be some mitigation, but I think the project has totally lost its way both in objective and costs. It makes no sense now to destroy more countryside and throw good money after bad. It will never justify the original intention, ill conceived as it was.
Infrastructure should be a constant priority but grandiose schemes rob the country of much needed resources and line the pockets of developers. It is not too late to make restitution to the damage. Better that than having permanent scares to a project that will never prove successful.
John – Your argument seems to be that we have wasted so much money already that we have to waste even more or the money we have wasted will be wasted.