HS2 at heart of fightback against Covid, says mayor

The West Midlands Mayor, who is one of the controversial project's biggest cheerleaders, urged businesses to stake a claim to more than 400,000 contracts it is set to create.

Mr Street spoke at an online briefing to an audience of 700 people, where he outlined the supply chain opportunities linked to the first phase of HS2 between Birmingham and London.

It came as Ministers admitted the cost of the project had surged yet again, with an extra bill of nearly £1 billion set to land on taxpayers' laps due to issues with early construction works.

The whole line is expected to cost around £106bn, more than three times its original budget.

Mr Street, who played a key roll in persuading Boris Johnson to sign off on HS2, said the line would be a key factor in the West Midlands bouncing back after the "hard kick" of Covid-19.

"We know our region is particularly vulnerable to Covid because of the mix of its economy – manufacturing, higher education, business tourism or exhibitions, all sectors under pressure," he said.

"So we know we have got a real challenge. HS2 is right at the heart of that fightback.

"If it was important before Covid it is even more important now, because we have got literally tens of billions of pounds being spent in this region."

Mr Street described HS2 as "one very bright spot at the end of a tunnel" and said it would drive growth and regeneration at sites around the region.

He organised the briefing to flag up the HS2 contracts available to small and medium sized businesses.

Business leaders across the region have backed high speed rail, which Ministers see as a vital part of the Government's "levelling up" agenda.

But critics say the extra capacity it creates will not be needed due to Covid-19 leading to a change in working patterns.

Meanwhile, anger is growing over the damage to the environment the line is causing, with ancient woodlands along its route being destroyed, including in Staffordshire.