09.03.16
D2N2 approves £300,000 grant to look at benefits of HS2 sites
A £300,000 grant to look into the economic benefits of proposed HS2 sites in Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire has been awarded by a local enterprise partnership.
The eastern line of Phase 2 of the high-speed railway line, due to be confirmed in autumn, will feature a proposed East Midlands ‘hub’ at Toton and a major maintenance depot at Staveley, near Chesterfield.
D2N2, a partnership between businesses, local authorities and voluntary organisations which aims to promote economic growth in the two counties, will fund feasibility studies into how maximum economic benefits can be gained from the two sites.
David Ralph, CEO of the D2N2 Local Enterprise Partnership, said: “The HS2 project represents an enormous opportunity for the D2N2 LEP area. We want to make sure we’ve investigated any practical means of taking full advantage of that, to grow the economy and create jobs.”
The majority (£255,000) of the grant will fund research into the feasibility of creating road and tram links to the Toton hub.
The remaining £45,000 will finance study of options for the Staveley maintenance depot, including helping HS2’s wider regeneration ambitions, identifying the road links to connect the depot to the local area, promoting the case for a local rail training facility to act as a secondary site linked to the proposed HS2 College campuses at Birmingham and Doncaster, and increasing awareness among north-east Derbyshire businesses of the opportunities HS2 represents.
Sir Peter Hendy, the head of Network Rail, recently called for a greater diversity of funding for major railway projects. D2N2’s Ralph spoke to RTM last year about the case for light rail integration with HS2.