Calls to invest £170m into Staffordshire towns on HS2 path
A damning report has today called for a £170 million cash injection to help Staffordshire towns and villages cope with HS2.
Experts from Staffordshire County Council have been poring over the plans and estimate that a huge sum would be needed just to reduce the devastation in phase one alone.
The report states that phase one of the £42.6 billion controversial project would isolate rural communities, leave land no longer viable to farm and disturb previously unrecorded archaeological remains such as the Staffordshire Hoard.
It would also destroy wildlife habitats, devastate ancient woodlands and increase journey times significantly from Stafford to London on the present rail network, the report claims.
In the report, Staffordshire County Council details the impact of just the London to Birmingham first phase, which would run near Lichfield, and concludes the current design poses 'significant and unacceptable environmental damage and disruption'.
Working together with Lichfield District Council and community groups, the county council experts set out what measures the county expects from HS2 Ltd should the high speed rail link go ahead.
Mark Winnington, Staffordshire County Council's cabinet member for economy and infrastructure, said: "As a county council we are committed to doing everything we can to mitigate the impact of this national transport scheme on our county, should it go ahead.
"We are opposed to the scheme and this detailed assessment on the impact of HS2 strips away the gloss and gives the true picture of the unacceptable impact it threatens to have on everything from ecology to wildlife, cutting off communities and carving up farms as it passes through the county.
"HS2 is a £40 billion scheme and we estimate around £170 million needs to be spent at the very least on measures to mitigate the impact of creating a high speed network.
"This is just the impact of phase one, and as a county council we will be doing everything we can to champion the cause of local communities and help ensure those affected by both phases also get meaningful and timely compensation."
The Staffordshire Phase One Mitigation and Enhancement Plan has been sent to HS2 Ltd and will be submitted to Staffordshire County Council's cabinet on August 21. The cabinet is recommended to endorse the plan. The document will be developed further pending response from HS2 Ltd.
HS2 Ltd say the project will create around 100,000 jobs and will boost the nation's economy and rail capacity.
