The Prime Minister’s decision to axe the second phase of HS2 was a brave one, Lichfield’s MP has said.
Rishi Sunak confirmed the line would not continue north to Manchester as had been originally planned.
Conservative MP Michael Fabricant said the confirmation was welcome for local communities.
“The announcement to cancel this costly project was a brave decision by the Prime Minister – and is the right one.
“It ends years of worry for my constituents to the north of Lichfield who would have been badly affected by the construction of Phase 2 to Manchester.
“Phase 1 will be completed. This not only includes the HS2 line from London to Birmingham, but up to where it joins the west coast main line near Handsacre just north of Lichfield.
“The works around Lichfield and Fradley will, of course, continue as it was always a part of Phase 1. Without that leg of Phase 1, HS2 cannot connect with Manchester and the north via the West Coast Main Line.”
Michael Fabricant
The decision has not been welcomed in all quarters, however, with the Greater Birmingham Chambers of Commerce saying the move had been a case of “short term cuts and long term questions”.
Henrietta Brealey, CEO of the organisation, said:
“While the Prime Minister’s speech was full of big promises, it was short on the practical reality of what cancelling Phase 2 of HS2 at this late stage actually means.
“A huge amount of cost and disruption has already been incurred to prepare for Phase 2. Many projects, including some of those he highlighted, are predicated on the arrival of HS2.
“Faith in the government to deliver on the long-term investments that this country needs to grow has been hugely damaged.
“It is time for the Prime Minister to be transparent on the costs of scrapping HS2 Phase 2 and how long it’ll be before any of the projects he listed come to fruition, given that these savings won’t become a reality until the 2030s.
“All we really have right now are short-term cuts and long term questions.”
Henrietta Brealey, Greater Birmingham Chambers of Commerce
Criticism has also come from West Midlands Mayor, Andy Street, who had urged the government to look at private alternatives in order to ensure the line could be built in full.
But Mr Fabricant said continuing with the HS2 project would create too much uncertainty for residents and businesses along the route.
“While I know that the West Midlands Mayor was investigating other forms of funding HS2 to Manchester using private finance, homes and businesses along the route would have been blighted by uncertainty and falling property values until private funding was found.
“I know from Phase 1 how unsettling that is to people.
“I have long advocated that by upgrading parts of the West Coast Main Line, high speed trains can be run at near high speed from Manchester to where it joins HS2 when it can then run even faster down to London Euston.
“I have opposed HS2 from since when the Labour Transport Secretary, Lord Adonis, changed the route from the ARUP plan which would have linked the line direct to Paris. That would have made some sense.
“But Labour’s HS2 route – later adopted by David Cameron – was always flawed.”
Michael Fabricant
