HS2 academy bid for Staffordshire University site

Thousands of apprentice engineers for HS2 could be based in Staffordshire as a new specialist college is lined up to fill the void left by a university, under ambitious plans revealed today.

moreCivic leaders have written to Transport Secretary Patrick McLoughlin calling for the planned HS2 Skills Academy to be based in Stafford – earmarking the Staffordshire University campus in Beaconside as an ideal location.

And the town's biggest private sector employer Alstom – one of the world's leading high speed rail firms – today backed the bid for the county town to become home to the new college, stating that it could 'think of no better place' for it.

Stafford Borough Council leader Mike Heenan said with the university leaving the town by 2016 there would be ready-made facilities and accommodation to be used for the HS2 Skills Academy.

He also played on Stafford's railway heritage as major reason why the government should choose the town for the college which would offer a range of courses including some in engineering.

It comes as talks were held in the county town today to discuss new uses for the Beaconside site when students move out following last week's decision by the university to leave the town.

Mr Heenan said: "Stafford is ideally placed for the academy. We will have world-class facilities and accommodation already at Beaconside, we are an incredibly well-connected place, and it is important to note Stafford is a railway town with a rich history and association with the railway.

"We also have Alstom based here and they will be one of a number of firms we will be talking to. We will have 27 miles of HS2 coming through the borough of Stafford and with the jobs the academy could create, it will go some measure to addressing some of the things we have raised about a lack of economic benefit from HS2 for Stafford."

It is feared Stafford's economy could lose £30 million a year because of the university's decision to leave the county town. The borough and county councils are both opposing HS2 but

Mr Heenan said it would be 'foolish' to dismiss vying for the college even though they were against the project.

He said: "Whether HS2 will go ahead or not is a decision that will be made by the Government. We will continue to fight for proper compensation and mitigation and it would be foolish not to try and secure jobs and economic benefits in spite."

Alstom intends to bid for billion pound contracts to build the high speed trains for HS2 as well as other technology for the project.