Decision-makers must not lose sight of HS2 's benefits

As is often the way with this administration, strategic leaks from Westminster seem to be a convenient method in testing public sentiment towards a policy announcement which is due for release later in the year, writes Steve Allen.

This is nothing new. Governments down the years have used leaks to the media to soften up the general public when bad news is afoot.

We have now heard whispers apparently emanating from a Government insider suggesting the eastern leg of HS2 would be scrapped with an anonymous source speculating: “There 's no way we 're going to see this built in our lifetimes. ”

It's hugely disappointing but not particularly surprising to see the detractors of HS2 lining up to support this move and to be honest, I feel a jaded sense d�j� vu that we are having to reiterate the benefits that delivering this once in a generation project will bring not just to Birmingham but to all four corners of the country.

At the Chamber, we 've championed the project from the outset. That steadfast support has remained in place throughout the years despite the numerous setbacks and short-sighted calls for the project to be scrapped in its entirety.

The Chamber recognises the fact the project is expected to create over a hundred thousand jobs and thousands of apprenticeships across the West Midlands.

We can also see the record levels of investment which have been predicated on the arrival of HS2 - the relocation of HSBC to Birmingham and the transformation of UK Central in Solihull instantly spring to mind.

Now some will be questioning the impact these plans would have on local businesses here in Greater Birmingham given that construction for Phase One of the project is well on its way.

Put simply, there 's an even greater prize that Birmingham and the surrounding areas stand to gain if the project is completed in full. Upon completion, HS2 will directly link eight of the UK 's ten largest cities and Greater Birmingham will sit directly at the heart of that new national network.

That would mean new domestic and international markets for local organisations to explore and expand into - opportunities which would becoming even more pressing and attractive as we emerge from the pandemic.

We shouldn 't lose sight of the wider socio-economic benefits that will be realised if the project is delivered in its entirety. Thousands of car journeys taken off our congested road networks, extensive capacity freed up on our ailing rail network which will allow our local services to operate more efficiently and, of course, thousands of new jobs created across the country as the UK looks to rebound from the twin economic shocks caused by Brexit and Covid-19. For businesses in Greater Birmingham and beyond, the advantages are there for all to see.

Every time the project faces a setback, it 's telling that none of HS2 's opponents can come up with an another solution which offers the same strategic, practical, ecological and economic benefits for the country as a whole. The reason? There is not a credible alternative.

We can only hope the Transport Secretary recognises this when the Integrated Rail Plan is released later in the year and remembers his own pledge from a few months back that HS2 would go ahead in full as planned.

In particular, the Prime Minister shouldn 't lose sight of the fact that he was elected with a mandate to radically alter the economic make-up of the UK and 'level up ' those areas that have suffered from decades of underinvestment. Delivering HS2 as originally planned would play a central part in recognising these ambitions and failure to do so would set this country back for decades to come.

Steve Allen is president Greater Birmingham Chambers of Commerce and head of the Birmingham office of Mills & Reeve

This column first appeared in Thursday 's Birmingham Post