Proposals for a high-speed rail line through Lichfield are set to be opposed by Staffordshire County Council.
The authority has said the HS2 scheme would bring too few benefits to the county and its residents – but denied accusations of NIMBYism.
Council leader Phil Atkins claimed the route’s national benefit would not be enough to make the local disruption acceptable.
He explained:
“This is not a knee-jerk, not in my back yard decision. We have given the proposal full consideration and listened to the views of residents. Enterprise is key to improving the prosperity of the county and excellent transport links are vital. We believe that High Speed 2 must deliver a range of national and local benefits in order to justify the spend and disruption.
“The current proposals do not bring Staffordshire people many tangible benefits. The only benefit seems to be reducing the travel times from London to Birmingham and Manchester.
“We will continue to listen to Staffordshire people and will be holding a full council debate on this issue. During this meeting, the usual political whip will be removed giving each county councillor free reign to express the views of their local constituents.”
The HS2 issue is set to be debated at a meeting in Whittington on Friday (November 19).
