Scrapping HS2 is impacting local schemes across Cheshire East, councillors say

The scrapping of HS2 has resulted in job losses and will stop local road improvement schemes going ahead in Cheshire East and hit volunteer groups and charities in the pocket, councillors said.

The impact on the council’s finances have been well documented over the past couple of months.

Cheshire East had already invested £11m in preparations for HS2 coming to Crewe[1] and there are fears more than £8m of that will have to be written off at a time the council has just £14m in reserves.

READ: Residents of Sandbach estate call for action after flooding leaves them 'stranded'[2] They say emergency services can't get through when the road floods

READ: 24-hour weather warning issued for Cheshire as winds set to batter county[3] The 'yellow' warning is set to become active from 12am on Thursday, December 21

But at this week’s meeting of the full council, some members spoke of the smaller schemes, as well as the wider impact of Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s decision in October to scrap the northern leg of HS2.

Wistaston councillor Alan Coiley, who worked on the railways for 33 years, said: “Crewe has several freight operating companies, which had planned to be part of the build.

“Many of those construction materials come from all over the country, who do you think delivers it – the railway stone and sand from quarries, sleepers and rail from steel works?

“The knock-on effects to those industries will be felt. All those skilled workers and their communities in those construction materials, forgotten in this decision.”

The Labour[4] councillor added: “Freight operating companies were in the process of announcing new trainee driver positions, but now all of them have been cancelled.”

He said one company had announced redundancies.

“Crewe’s railway station was going to be a transition station for HS2,” said Cllr Coiley. “It is now a Victorian station held up by scaffolding.”

He said local groups and charities had sat through meetings being told they would get funding for projects out of HS2 – now that had been lost too.

Wilmslow councillor Chris Hilliard (Ind) said: “We’re missing improvements that were to bring significant jobs and growth to Crewe; improvements in road traffic safety in our towns, such as improved junctions and crossings, that would have dealt with the significant extra traffic from building HS2 but crucially would have left those benefits after.

“It would have also paved the way for significant new cycle routes connecting our communities.”

And he said funding for other schemes, which may have included pedestrian crossings, would also now not come forward.

Cheshire East has written to the Prime Minister and various ministers about the devastating impact scrapping HS2 has had on the borough and is seeking a ‘fair and equitable’ deal to compensate.

The council’s leaders have met with rail minister Huw Merriman and further talks are expected.

Cllr Hilliard said the council must also argue for funding not only for larger schemes like Crewe Station but smaller active travel schemes for local communities.

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References

  1. ^ Crewe (www.cheshire-live.co.uk)
  2. ^ Residents of Sandbach estate call for action after flooding leaves them 'stranded' (www.cheshire-live.co.uk)
  3. ^ 24-hour weather warning issued for Cheshire as winds set to batter county (www.cheshire-live.co.uk)
  4. ^ Labour (www.cheshire-live.co.uk)
  5. ^ Sign up for CheshireLive email direct to your inbox here (www.cheshire-live.co.uk)

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