HS2: Staffordshire MPs vow to fight 'monstrous' rail project
MPs have vowed to fight against HS2’s second phase branding it a ‘monstrous’ white elephant which will put some parts of the county ‘in peril’.
Michael Fabricant who represents Lichfield, and Bill Cash, for Stone, both Tory MPs, have heavily criticised the £55.7 billion project declaring it will wreak havoc in their constituencies for different reasons.
Mr Fabricant told the Express & Star: “I will be voting against it as I voted against Phase 1. In Lichfield we get no direct benefit of HS2 because it does not stop there.
“But we suffer all of the disadvantages. There will be house demolition. Reduction in the quality of life, vibrations and noise as the rail lines travels close to homes. There will also be construction traffic. We have people whose livelihoods and homes are being put in peril.”
The plans, unveiled on Monday, revealed the temporary construction facility at Stone could be converted into a permanent maintenance facility.
Mr Cash said: “It is going to be appalling. I have always been opposed to HS2 and regarded it as monstrous white elephant.
“I am going to do everything I can to minimise the damage to my constituents. I will speak against this during the second reading in Parliament. From what I can gather it will go through like Phase 1 did but I will fight against it.
“I have also called for the full plans to be made available to view in Stafford so people do not have to go down to Birmingham or London.”
Staffordshire County Council’s transport chief Mark Winnington said on the back of the latest development: “From the outset we have campaigned to get the best deal for the county and for our communities and we will continue to do this now that the Phase 2a Bill has been deposited.
“In Phase One we managed to secure some significant changes, including the lowering of more than five miles of the route in Lichfield to minimise the impact of the project, and in this next phase we will now be examining every mile of the route in detail and challenging where we feel further mitigation could benefit Staffordshire.
“Phase 2a will run through 33 miles of the county and we have made it clear that Staffordshire must share in the economic benefits and be able to access HS2 travel too through the construction of the Handsacre Link in the first phase of the scheme.
“This will allow people in Staffordshire and the surrounding areas to benefit from faster journeys to London and direct links to Birmingham Airport HS2 via the Stafford hub.”
