To Coyne A Phrase

(Don’t) thank the Lords

THIS week’s report from the House of Lords committee into high-speed rail project HS2 has certainly ruffled a few feathers.

Just when it seemed the argument in favour of HS2 – which will link Birmingham and London via 225mph trains in its first phase – had been won the HOL committee throws a dirty great spanner in the works.

I thought the report, which suggested the HS2 case hadn’t been made in terms of capacity, cost or even project phase selection – was a curious piece of work.

Normally Parliamentary committees, which collect evidence and interview witnesses, weigh everything up before coming to a measured conclusion.

There was nothing measured about this report. It was a damning indictment of the very idea of HS2 and of everything associated with it.

It was as subtle as writing ‘No to HS2’ in white paint on a brick wall.

And, as Greater Birmingham Chambers boss Jerry Blackett points out, in suggesting that London would be the main beneficiary of HS2 and the north would lose out unless the project started up there, it completely ignores the positive economic effect the project will have on the West Midlands, which has some of the worst unemployment blackspots in the country.

And as for the idea that capacity isn’t an issue on our trains, that’s a line that will be met with bemusement by many train travellers who have spent inter-city journeys propped up against the luggage rack or standing in the space between carriages.

I’m not naive enough to think that the HS2 project doesn’t have its flaws but huge infrastructure projects outside of London are pretty rare and I’m unashamedly parochial in my thinking that – overall – this will be of great benefit to our region in terms of jobs and international reputation, never mind faster connections with the rest of the country.

We’ve already started to see that with the HS2 management company announcing its HQ will be in central Birmingham.

And I wonder whether the likes of HSBC would be considering Brum for its new HQ if large-scale development wasn’t happening in the city.

And much of that large-scale development is happening because of a perceived increase in occupier interest on the back of projects such as HS2.

As Professor Cliff Allan, vice chancellor of Birmingham City University, puts it: “The Lords committee is calling for more evidence to justify investment in our rail infrastructure through HS2. The evidence is right here in Birmingham.

“The move by HSBC, particularly, underpins the case for HS2, in that it balances global business across the UK, rather than concentrating everything in the South East.”

Dishing the dirt in Wolverhampton

I’VE always suspected that a lot of apps are cr*p but now my suspicions have been confirmed.

As part of its Operation Spring Clean campaign, targeting dog owners who don’t clean up after their pets, Wolverhampton City Council is urging people to download its free Wolverhampton Report It app and to let it know when they see dog fouling.

“We will get the mess cleared up and use that intelligence to carry out targeted enforcement activity in problem areas,” it says.

Fair enough.

The problem must be fairly widespread one would have thought if it’s worth creating a special app for dog mess whistleblowers (pooper-snoopers perhaps?)

The council is also pointing out that dog owners can deposit their pet poo in any public litter bin – they do not need to waste time searching for a specific dog poo bin.
 
All of this comes after the authority recently carried out an online survey into the issue of dog fouling and a significant number of people were unsure where they were able to get rid of animal poo.
 
Councillor John Reynolds, cabinet member for city services, said: “It all goes to the same incinerator, so it doesn’t matter which bin you use.  We have 1,500 litter bins around the city, so you will never be far away from one.”

Might I suggest that shouldn’t be included as a major selling point in Wolverhampton’s inward investment brochure.

Have a great weekend!