HS2 to drive urban regeneration
CITIES in the North and Midlands could become global leaders thanks to HS2, predict key figures from business, politics and the trade union movement.
The Growth Taskforce, which brings together figures from across the political spectrum and the private and public sectors – from Sir John Rose, ex-CEO of Rolls-Royce to Frances O’Grady, General Secretary of the TUC – delivered its recommendations to government today, calling for action now to maximise the economic and social impacts of HS2.
The Taskforce’s report, HS2: Get Ready, recommends the steps needed to ensure the whole country shares in the job and business opportunities HS2 will deliver.
The announcement follows world-leading engineer Sir David Higgins’ report, published on Monday, setting out how HS2 might be delivered sooner.
The Taskforce report calls for action now to simplify and join up funding to deliver construction fast around HS2 stations sites. By accelerating regeneration and development of brownfield land on the route the report argues that big benefits will be seen in just a few years. It also calls for city regions to work together to integrate local transport networks.
Targeted plans for local development, combined with a push to build a workforce with the right skills to fill the 25,000 new jobs to build and maintain HS2, will mean local businesses are in pole position to win the £25bn worth of contracts that HS2 will generate, delivering wealth creation right across the country.
The Taskforce says that a ‘business as usual’ approach will not be enough, and calls for the same levels of ambition and collaboration that saw Britain deliver a hugely successful Olympic Games.
The Taskforce’s recommendations include:
• new local bodies to create tailored growth plans for cities along the HS2 route;
• local leaders and business use HS2 to supercharge their city regions by creating world-leading transport links and kick-starting urban regeneration;
• work to begin now to ensure young people understand and capitalise on the career opportunities HS2 will open up;
• help given to British firms to bid for HS2 contracts; and
• ensuring HS2 contracts lead to local job creation, skills development and apprenticeships.
Lord Deighton, taskforce chair, commercial secretary to the Treasury and the former chief executive of London 2012, said: “Like the Olympics, HS2 has the potential to be a great British success story, bringing jobs and growth to the whole country. Our report sets out the common sense steps that we need to take now to achieve this.”
Councillor Julie Dore, member of the HS2 Growth Task Force and leader of Sheffield City Council, said: “If done properly, high speed rail stations can be a catalyst for growth. It is important that we make the right decisions now so that the whole of the UK can benefit from what is undoubtedly a unique opportunity for the country’s growth. The real debate now is ‘how do we take best advantage of HS2?’ The Growth Task Force Report makes recommendations on how the current proposals can be improved to maximise economic growth. It is vital that we do all we can to harness growth potential so that together we can create jobs and opportunities for people and businesses across the UK.”
Roger Marsh, member of the HS2 Growth Task Force and chair of the Leeds City Region Enterprise Partnership, added: “Optimising our nation’s potential for sustained growth, by accelerating development in the Midlands and the North in particular, is key to the rebalancing agenda, delivering jobs and more evenly distributed prosperity. Pivotal to this agenda is strategic national and complementary local infrastructure investment.
“HS2 is not just about changing the way we travel, it is essential to the medium and long-term growth of our city regions and the opportunities this offers future generations, both in terms of direct job creation and the effects of better connectivity with London, Europe and the UK’s key regional centres.
“Locally we are committed to working with government and partners to ensure that the whole of Leeds City Region seizes the significant opportunities and benefits for good growth this national investment presents for generations to come.”
Lord Heseltine welcomed the Taskforce’s report. He said: “The HS2 Growth Taskforce has shown just the kind of thinking needed to maximise growth and unleash the potential of great cities such as Leeds, Birmingham, Manchester and Sheffield. The report provides a clear view of what must be done, and equally importantly who must do it, if we are to get Britain truly ready to benefit from HS2.”
