'Affordability' of HS2 Phase 2 questioned by Government body
Anti-HS2 campaigners have labelled recently released papers which question the affordability of the scheme as 'absolutely damning' after fighting years for their release.
HS2 Ltd have this week released a number of reports from the Infrastructure and Projects Authority covering the period of September 2013 to September 2015 into the scheme after Stop HS2 campaigners battled for their publication.
They reveal the Government body, which is part of the Cabinet Office, raised concerns over getting the project completed to budget.
The documents questions whether Phase 2a, from the West Midlands to Crewe cutting up 45 miles of Staffordshire land, is 'affordable' and calls for its prioritisation to be 'revisited' should the costs spiral beyond budgets.
The papers state: "The concerns and interests of a wide range of stakeholders affected by Phase 2a are well understood and effective processes are in place to monitor and manage them.
"However, there are some significant risks. Most significant at this stage is affordability within the capped budget of £50.1bn (Q2 2011 ECs) for HS2 as a whole. A major efficiency programme is under way to identify opportunities to design and build to cost."
