HS2 'will let Midlands lead business world'

They have set out plans for £3.3 billion of projects they want to see funded to serve the £50bn high-speed rail line in the region – including many which have been on the drawing board for several years.

But they need the Government to stump up the extra cash if the ambitious plans for new super-fast electric buses and improved rail services between local stations are to become reality.

Today, council leaders in the Black Country backed the business leaders' proposals and said they would boost the region.

A new garden city with thousands of homes will be built near Birmingham Airport under plans linked to HS2.

A new Interchange station is set to be constructed near the M42 in the so-called Meriden Gap between Solihull and Coventry.

Because of its location close to the NEC, airport, motorway and Jaguar Land Rover plant, politicians see it as an ideal place for development.

The scheme is currently called UK Central and could initially support nearly 5,000 residents and 20,000 jobs. It would also be just 40 minutes away from London on HS2.

Councillor Ian Courts, Cabinet portfolio member for managed growth at Solihull Metropolitan Borough Council, said: "UK Central, which encompasses Solihull and its surrounding areas, is a major driver within the West Midlands economy and offers a unique combination of opportunity, connectivity and lifestyle to inward investors.

"As the location for the first high-speed rail interchange, UK Central will reap tremendous benefits from HS2, through the creation of a vibrant new live, work, innovate and play destination – 'The Hub' – which interweaves business, leisure and new communities around UK Central's outstanding transport connectivity."

Last year, then-Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg announced up to three garden cities – each with more than 15,000 homes will be built to help deal with a chronic housing shortage.

Funding from an existing £2.4bn pot will be made available for developments being built up to 2020.

Bicester in Oxfordshire has been chosen as one of the sites for a new garden city, with up to 13,000 homes due to be built on the edge of the town.

Councillor Darren Cooper, Sandwell Council leader, said: "The HS2 growth strategy is welcome. HS2 will be a critical driver for economic development and regeneration in the West Midlands. It will also be a fundamental element of the Combined Authority as it moves forward."

Councillor Mike Bird, leader of Walsall Council, added: "We welcome this bid as this could lead to the reopening of Aldridge station and the electrification of the Rugeley to Walsall line which would lead to a reduction in car-borne commuters.

"Any bid that enhances job opportunities and assists in the wider economic recovery is and must be welcomed wholeheartedly."

The buses look and operate like trams but without the cables and the tracks.

Under the HS2 growth strategy, these routes would run from the i54 business park near Wolverhampton, Walsall, Halesowen, and Lichfield to HS2 stations.

They are expected to cost around £15m each.

Bosses at transport authority Centro say the buses will act as 'Metro's little sister'.

Centro chairman Councillor John McNicholas said: "This is a completely new form of public transport in the West Midlands and we want to know what people think about the idea.

"It is a proven concept in other European cities and measures such as dedicated lanes, traffic light priority and limited stops will make Sprint journeys a fast and reliable alternative to the car."

Benefits for passengers include: an open and airy carriage similar to a tram, on-board real time information and 'next stop' announcements, multi-door boarding for easy access, low-level flooring throughout for easy access, conductors and/or ticket machines, CCTV, and on-board Wifi. The vehicles are also low-emission so will reduce environmental pollution. Centro says fewer cars on the road will also improve the local environment.

A Centro spokesman added: "This innovative mode of transport seeks to offer a 'turn-up-and-go' timetable with journey times and comfort levels that are based on those of trams while maximising the flexibility and lower costs associated with bus technology.

"At-stop waiting facilities will be of a high-quality design with step-free, easy access, similar to Metro."

The proposed extension of the Midland Metro from Wednesbury to Brierly Hill, via Dudley town centre, has been on the drawing board for several years.

The extension would be seven miles in length and has a total of 13 stops, including at Merry Hill Shopping Centre.

And Roger Lawrence, Wolverhampton council leader, emphasised the need of links between towns and the HS2 stations.

He said: "HS2 is one part but if you can't get to it, it is not much use.

"We need to support this development and recognise it is not just about connecting us with London but also to the north of England."

Leaders from other parts of the West Midlands also welcomed the plan.

Sir Albert Bore, leader of Birmingham City Council, said: "HS2 gives us a superb opportunity to secure first-class connectivity across the whole of the Midlands and that will create an economic powerhouse without equal in the UK regions. But to make these ambitious plans a reality, we must secure regional and national commitments so honest engagement and partnership working will be critical."

A leading campaigner against HS2 has rubbished claims that the high-speed rail project will create thousands of new jobs.

Joe Rukin, from Stop HS2, said councils and business bosses were having to ask the Government for more money to 'create benefits' from HS2.

He said: "There is no surprise that you need more money to make HS2 work because it is not plugged into existing transport networks.

"This goes to show how the project is flawed from the outset. This argument about creating jobs is complete nonsense. These figures are completely made up.

"HS2 will not create new jobs, it will simply move them from one place to another.

"As for the development around Birmingham Airport, we have always said that HS2 is an excuse to encroach into the Green Belt and to widen the London commuter belt.

"What we will see is the Meriden Gap between Birmingham and Coventry disappear to create homes for people working in the capital."

He added: "And the same will happen just north of Staffordshire and south of Crewe.

Andy Street, chairman of the Greater Birmingham and Solihull Local Enterprise Partnership, set out why he believes the Black Country and Birmingham needs the £3.3bn cash injection.

He said: "The Midlands is experiencing unprecedented levels of growth which have established the region as a destination of choice to live, work and invest in.

"Major companies are locating or expanding here which is testament to the growing confidence in the market. Jaguar Land Rover will spend over £3bn this coming year on new product creation and capital expenditure.

"HSBC has recently announced that it will be locating the head office of its new ring-fenced bank in Birmingham, bringing 1,000 roles to the city. The area is not just a location of choice to grow a business, but also to start one with Birmingham leading in new start-ups outside London."

The projects include funding 'Sprint' electric bus services from the Jaguar Land Rover engine factory at i54 near Wolverhampton, Walsall, Halesowen and Lichfield to HS2 stations to boost links with the Black Country and Staffordshire.

The buses look and operate like a tram but without tracks or overhead cables.

Centro chief executive Geoff Inskip said: "Sprint is part of our vision for a world-class transport system in the West Midlands.

"By offering a fast and reliable alternative to the car we believe we can get more people on to public transport, thus reducing traffic congestion that costs this region's economy £2.3bn a year."

Mr Street, who is chief executive of Waitrose, added: "HS2 represents an opportunity to create a further step-change in our economic performance.

"Our approach uses HS2 to build an economic, social and environmental legacy for the Midlands. It builds on the region's strengths, which lie in its people, businesses and places.

"We are targeting new investment to unlock regeneration schemes, form new social structures and open up the region's connectivity – locally, nationally and internationally."