07.02.17
HS2 Sheffield Meadowhall station ‘still on the table’
Transport minister Andrew Jones has confirmed that the proposed high-speed South Yorkshire station at Sheffield Meadowhall is “still on the table”, despite recommendations made by the chair of HS2 Ltd Sir David Higgins.
The confirmation came during a Parliamentary debate raised by former Labour leader Ed Miliband on HS2’s Yorkshire route, as he questioned the benefits of the high-speed rail service’s currently planned spur to Sheffield Midland, arguing that the city has been “sold a pup” by HS2 Ltd.
Miliband said that current plans would actually mean slower and more infrequent journeys to London from Sheffield city centre than the Meadowhall option. He also disputed claims that the new route would save £1bn and slammed plans to demolish a new housing estate in Mexborough, one of the eight potential sites earmarked for a new ‘parkway’ station.
“We are comparing three or four years of work on the Meadowhall route with, frankly, back-of-a-fag packet calculations in relation to the M18 route,” Miliband stressed.
“Our argument is not simply about the local effect – it is a wider argument about the benefits to South Yorkshire. However, I do think that that is relevant, and proper work has not been done on the constraints of this route.”
In response, Jones argued for the “additional” benefits of the proposed M18 route, saying that it will affect fewer properties, generate less noise pollution and offer the attraction of a city centre location similar to stations proposed in Leeds, Birmingham and Manchester.
But the minister offered reassurances that his department is currently holding consultations along the line of route in the current proposals, noting that the government did listen to Leeds’s request for a single hub station, and expressed hopes that a consensus can be reached around the proposal in South Yorkshire.
“HS2 is going ahead. The programme is moving at pace. The question is how to minimise the disruption during the build and, most importantly, maximise the benefits when HS2 arrives. I want people to be thinking about that, including in South Yorkshire,” Jones added.
“I have met colleagues from South Yorkshire, and I will meet them again – I think that dates are already in the diary; I am happy to receive all representations.”
When asked by Miliband whether the Sheffield Meadowhall option is still being considered by HS2, Jones answered with a clear “yes”.
“We have not ruled options out, although the government have said that they are minded – but only minded – to go ahead with the proposal from Sir David Higgins [to proceed with the Midland spur],” Jones revealed.
“We have sought to listen to communities and to take on board their comments and concerns at every stage, and that will continue, but HS2 is not just about improving transport; it is about exactly what [you] said—building a better Britain and creating a legacy of prosperity for future generations.”
HS2 Ltd is set to complete its study looking into the possibility of a parkway station in South Yorkshire in the spring. Jones confirmed that the study, alongside consultations on refinement of the route and properties that will be affected by the route, will be used to inform a decision on HS2 in South Yorkshire later this year.
Have you got a story to tell? Would you like to become an RTM columnist? If so, click here.