Support from the Chairman of HS2 Ltd for Toton in Nottinghamshire to be a hub station on the proposed line have been warmly welcomed by the D2N2 Local Enterprise Partnership.
Sir David Higgins, Chairman of HS2 Ltd, attended the East Midlands HS2 Strategic Board in Nottingham today (July 14); where he gave an update on the work undertaken to assess a potential alternative location for the hub station, at Breaston in Derbyshire.
HS2’s Chairman has now confirmed the technical work undertaken on both locations had concluded that Toton remained the best option. This is consistent with the outcome of a separate assessment undertaken for the East Midlands HS2 Strategic Board, which demonstrated Toton had greater potential to deliver economic growth and boost connectivity to Birmingham and the north of England.
The final decision on the station location will rest with the Secretary of State for Transport, the Rt. Hon Patrick McLoughlin MP, who will set out how the Government plans to take Phase Two of HS2 forward later this year.
Peter Richardson, Chairman of the D2N2 Local Enterprise Partnership – who was at today’s meeting with Sir David – said: “An HS2 hub station at Toton represents a huge economic opportunity for the D2N2 area.
“We now need to make sure we have plans and proposals in place which that maximize job creation locally and across the wider surrounding area, as well as implementation structures which can deliver effectively on the ground.”
Council leaders and other business representatives have strongly welcomed Sir David’s comments.
Ian Morgan (pictured above) – a Board Member of both the East Midlands Chamber of Commerce and of D2N2, and Chairman of the Confederation of Passenger Transport UK – commented: “Uncertainty is the enemy of confidence, so Sir David’s comments are very welcome indeed. There are large numbers of local businesses that could benefit through making use of the improved connectivity which a new hub station will bring, and also by winning contracts to design and build HS2 and the associated rolling stock.”
Cllr Jon Collins, Chair of the East Midlands HS2 Strategic Board and Leader of Nottingham City Council, added: “We are delighted that HS2’s assessments are consistent with our own conclusions and reflect the clear regional consensus that we secured earlier this year.
“This should remove any barrier to the Government making a clear decision later this year. We now need to work with HS2 Ltd to co-develop a station proposition, that works for both local people and the wider East Midlands.”
Cllr Anne Western, Vice-Chair of the East Midlands Strategic Board and Leader of Derbyshire County Council, said: “This is great news for the East Midlands. A hub station at Toton, along with the proposed HS2 maintenance depot at Staveley near Chesterfield, will give a huge boost to our local economies. But we will need to get the connectivity right to maximize the benefits; in particular links from Derby to the hub station by road, rail and public transport.”
Media wanting further information about the work of the D2N2 LEP can contact Sean Kirby, Communications Officer, on the D2N2 Newsdesk, on 0115 9578749 or email: sean.kirby@d2n2lep.org
