Birmingham mounts bid to secure HS2 college
POLITICIANS and business leaders in Birmingham are to lobby for the new HS2 technical college to be located in the city.
No decision on where the new college will be situated has been made but in view of the city’s location at the heart of the proposed high speed rail network it would appear the ideal destination.
Announcing details of the new college, the government said the centre will deliver the specialised training and qualifications needed for high speed rail. This in turn, will benefit not just HS2 but future rail projects around the UK.
Business Secretary Vince Cable said: “HS2 is the biggest infrastructure project that this government is delivering. So it is right that a large scale investment in bricks and mortar should also come with investment in the elite skills which will help build it. That’s why this government is launching the first further education college in over 20 years, which will train the next generation of engineers in rail, construction and environmental studies that this country needs to prosper.”
Andrew Cleaves, Greater Birmingham and Solihull LEP board director with responsibility for transport, said the partnership was already well advanced in its strategy to maximise the potential of HS2 for businesses and the wider population of the area.
“Greater Birmingham has a very well-regarded technical skills base and the HS2 College would provide an excellent opportunity, provided we can present a compelling case to bring it here,” he said.
“We will sit at the heart of the national high-speed network and we are the obvious location to provide the focus for phase one of the scheme. Furthermore, our colleges and universities are already extremely well placed to support the development of educational programmes linked to HS2.
“Now, our job is to present to Government a business case to bring the HS2 College to Greater Birmingham.”
Sir Albert Bore, leader of Birmingham City Council, added: “With Birmingham at the centre of the high-speed network and at the crucial phase one of the development I would be keen to explore the possibility of the college being based in the city. Birmingham has strong academic credentials, including a world-class university, and would be the perfect home for a specialist engineering college.
“We are already working with HS2, the GBSLEP and colleges and universities to make sure the city and wider region benefits from the high speed line with job and training opportunities. This means having the right workforce with the right skills at the right time and ensuring we create opportunities for local companies and people, and those who are currently under-represented.”
Elsewhere, West Midlands Fire and Rescue Authority is lobbying to have HS2 compulsorily purchase the whole of its West Midlands headquarters in Nechells rather than just the car park and rear yard outside the building.
It said such a move would restrict access to the site and it would be better to look for a fresh site elsewhere, even though it has only occupied the current building for five years following its move from Lancaster Circus.
