Business leaders welcome HS2 pledge in Queen’s Speech

A NEW Government commitment to the development of the HS2 high speed rail project has been welcomed by business leaders.

Two draft Bills paving the way for the £32bn project have been included in the Queen’s Speech.

The first, the High Speed Rail (Preparation) Bill, would grant the government authority to spend any funds necessary to build the new rail link between London and Birmingham, before the second phase extends the route up to Manchester and Leeds.

The government will need this Bill to be passed before it is in a position to implement the second phase of legislation outlined in the High Speed Two Hybrid Bill. This bill will grant the government the legal power to compulsorily purchase the land needed for the route.

Following the announcement, Andrew Cleaves, Greater Birmingham and Solihull Local Enterprise Partnership board director with responsibility for transport, welcomed the legislation.

He said: “From the very beginning, the GBSLEP has been supportive of the Government’s creation of a high-speed rail network in the UK. The two Bills provide us with further confidence in the Government’s commitment to press ahead with the proposals and ensure the project is delivered on time.

“HS2 represents one of the most important opportunities we have in Greater Birmingham to bring about a step change in terms of jobs, connectivity and economic growth.”

He said the LEP area was strategically placed to benefit most from the development of the new line, even enhancing international connectivity.

However, he acknowledged that while the economic opportunities from the new railway were huge, there were challenges. He pledged that the partnership would work with government to minimise the social and environmental impact.

“The two Bills in the Queen’s Speech send out a strong message that the Government sees HS2 as a priority and we warmly welcome their commitment to this project,” he added.

Jerry Blackett, chief executive of BCCG, said the draft legislation was a major step forward for the scheme.

“It’s particularly significant that two Bills were announced and underlines how important HS2 is to the government. The HS2 work will attract competition on a global scale so Midlands industry should make the most of this massive order book sitting on its doorstep.

“We have great innovation and design locally but we must not take winning business for granted. Witness Bombardier. The chamber will work hard to ensure local industry is the first to learn about procurement opportunities and that we expect to work with HS2 Ltd on this agenda.”

He said the city’s vision was to become the UK’s “high speed centre of excellence”, able to export its know-how to the north of the country off the back of being the first line to be built.

Former Strategic Rail Authority chairman Richard Bowker, now a senior advisor at consultant EC Harris, said: “The inclusion of the Preparation Bill in the Queen’s Speech marks an important milestone in the development of High Speed Rail in the UK.

“Recent experience such as on the West Coast Main Line has shown that upgrading existing railways can be excessively costly and very disruptive for long periods of time. HS2 offers an opportunity to transform travel in the UK for generations to come, as well as being delivered whilst minimising the impact on our already busy, existing, railway network on which we rely so heavily.”

Bowker is also a former chief executive of Birmingham-based transport group National Express.

Richard Halstead, Midlands Region Director of EEF, the manufacturers’ organisation, said: “Industry will welcome a Queen’s Speech that is lighter on legislation and denser on delivery. Making progress in key areas such as Energy, Apprenticeships, Pensions and key infrastructure projects such as HS2 is vital for growth.”

The comments are a far cry from this time last year when any mention of new HS2 legislation was omitted from Queen’s Speech, casting doubt over whether the massive project would ever see the light of day.