CHESHIRE West and Chester Council is seeking clarification on future investment into the North West transport infrastructure after the cancellation of HS2 north of Birmingham.

The Council expressed its "extreme disappointment" with the decision which Prime Minister Rishi Sunak announced at the Conservative Party's conference in Manchester today (Wednesday, October 4).

Defying senior Tories and business leaders, Mr Sunak said that the "facts have changed" and the cost of the high-speed rail scheme had "more than doubled". He also promised that the £36 billion of saving from the scrapping of HS2 line would be used to fund other transport schemes.

Councillor Louise Gittins, Leader of Cheshire West and Chester Council, said: "Our Borough, along with the whole of the North West region has been relying on the promised investment in HS2 as a key part of Levelling Up.

"Our rail network is in desperate need of modernisation to allow for the growth in rail travel required for the critical shift from road to public transport to reduce carbon emissions. HS2 was going to increase capacity on our Victorian rail network and provide local people with the modern service they need and deserve. This decision to cancel the northern leg of HS2 also means we are losing wider investment opportunities it would generate."

The Council say that in Cheshire and neighbouring Warrington, HS2 would have meant:

  • £2bn per annum in gross value added (GVA)
  • 27,000 new jobs
  • 6 million sq ft of new commercial floor space and 25,000 new homes.

Added Councillor Gittins: "Following his announcement, we now need much more detail, and clear answers from the Prime Minister about his plans for the still long-awaited investment in our rail networks.

"The Council has fully supported the principles of HS2 while championing the concerns of communities and businesses in the areas of the borough that would have been directly and significantly adversely affected by HS2 construction and operation.

"We consider HS2 as an essential rail connection benefiting Cheshire and Warrington and the wider North West, with the potential to connect people to employment, to education and leisure and increasing our links with other regions."

Responding to the government’s decision today to scrap HS2 to the North, Lord McLoughlin, Chair of Transport for the North, said: "The cancelling of the northern leg of HS2 is naturally disappointing. It’s undeniable that this will be seen by many as a missed opportunity for the region, and the country as a whole. Only last week, northern business and political leaders came together at our TfN Board to speak with ‘one voice’ to reaffirm our position that HS2 and NPR in full are vital to truly transform the North.

"The announcement of investment in the region is obviously welcome. And we will look to work with government to fully understand the implications for the North of the proposals set out today in the Prime Minister’s speech, and consult with our Board on the best way forward in light of this new change of policy. There are still quite a few areas that require further clarification from the Department for Transport, which we will be seeking from them."