HS2 proposals welcomed
Councillors have welcomed revised proposals which would see HS2 trains stop in Chesterfield.
In their response to a Government consultation, at their meeting on Tuesday 7 March, members of Chesterfield Borough Council’s cabinet welcomed the proposed new route from the West Midlands to Leeds, including a stop in Chesterfield and a maintenance depot in Staveley.
They agreed that:
• The council welcomes the proposed stop in Chesterfield, which will bring reduced journey times to London and Birmingham and encourage growth in the borough’s economy
• The council will continue to call for more frequent services rather than the current plans for one train per hour to maximise these benefits
• The latest plans to realign the main HS2 route further east north of M1 J29, closer to Bolsover would reduce the impact on residential properties in Woodthorpe and Netherthorpe and on the Markham Vale development
• The revised layout of the Staveley depot fits better with existing plans to develop the Chesterfield-Staveley Regeneration Route; the new plans reduce the impact on the Chesterfield Canal restoration project by crossing the canal route only once
• Government should take early decisions about the route and accelerate construction from the north in order that jobs and opportunities for the borough come as soon as possible.
Councillor Tricia Gilby, Chesterfield Borough Council’s cabinet member for economic growth, said: “HS2 is a once in a generation opportunity to improve transport links and we want to make sure that Chesterfield people benefit from this.
“There are strong economic reasons for the project and having a stop on the route in Chesterfield as well as a maintenance depot in Staveley will offer great opportunities for our residents in terms of journey times and to grow our economy.
“We are pleased that the revised plans for access to the depot have taken into account our previous concerns but we acknowledge that further work is needed to mitigate the concerns of residents living next to the proposed line and we will continue to support them in this.”
Residents had the opportunity to comment on the proposals for the route in a consultation event run by HS2 Ltd held in Staveley last month.
In developing its reply to the consultation, the council has used networks created through its HS2 board chaired by the council leader which brings together a wide range of partners, including Derbyshire County Council, to maximise opportunities for the route across north Derbyshire.
