Council accused of 'waving a white flag' to HS2 over lorries plan

HS2 has submitted a raft of applications to allow lorries to pass through the county for the construction of phase 2a of HS2, which is set to run from the end of phase one in Fradley through Stafford and up to Crewe.

The applications have sparked concerns in parts of county over the impact of dozens of lorries a day passing along country lanes.

A number of groups – including Yarnfield & Cold Meece Parish Council and Stone Town Council – submitted informal objections to the proposed use of Pirehill Lane and Yarnfield Lane.

They also put forward alternative routes after being excluded from the consultation process.

In its submission, Yarnfield Parish Council said the huge influx of lorries would cause "unacceptable risks to safety, the free-flow of traffic and access to amenity in our parish", and would also result in traffic gridlock on surrounding roads.

Independent councillor Jill Hood, who represents Stone on Staffordshire County Council, raised the issue at a council meeting last week. She said that in 2017 the council had deemed the use of Pirehill Lane "unacceptable" and urged the authority to "call in" the matter should it go to planning.

"The further down the line we go, the more I feel this council is waving a white flag to HS2," she said.

Council leader Alan White rejected the claim, saying the authority had previously moved a motion against HS2 and had "continuously" lobbied ministers and HS2 Ltd.

"To say that we are raising the white flag with HS2 is to completely misjudge the work we have done over the last 13 years," he said. "We continue to work hard to make sure HS2 and their contractors do the minimum damage to the county whilst they are working here."

The so-called 'Schedule 17' applications were set to be approved on Friday, but council chiefs expect the deadline to be extended following the Government's announcement of a two-year delay to phase 2a.

A spokesperson for Staffordshire County Council, said: "Following the Government’s announcement that construction on HS2 phase 2a will be re-phased by two years, the council is seeking urgent clarification on the implications to the main works Schedule 17 lorry route approval process and timescales. In light of this we are expecting an extension to the submission deadline."

In the Commons last week, Meriden MP Saqib Bhatti accused HS2 of "arrogance, complacency and incompetence" over plans to send lorries down country lanes in his constituency.

Meanwhile Stone MP Sir Bill Cash said the Rail Minister had promised to visit his constituency to see the impact of the line on residents, who he said had suffered a "decade of misery" with HS2.