Fresh calls made in Derbyshire for HS2 eastern leg to be delivered ‘in full’

The National Infrastructure Commission has proposed terminating the high-speed rail line in Nottinghamshire as one of a series of options due to be considered by the Government.

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If this option is approved, HS2 would miss areas including Chesterfield, Sheffield and Leeds.

In the House of Commons this week, Pauline Latham, Conservative MP for Mid Derbyshire, said: “The importance of levelling up to constituencies like mine is critical as we look to build back better from Covid.

“With that in mind, can the Prime Minister commit to delivering the eastern leg of HS2 in full, creating 150,000 jobs and billions of pounds of investment in the Midlands and the north, as well as unlocking the capacity for local transport schemes in Derbyshire, in which cycling and walking must play a crucial part?”

Boris Johnson responded that Ms Latham was ‘right to be militating for the eastern leg of HS2’ and added that the Government would be publishing its Integrated Rail Plan ‘early this year’.

Councillor Tricia Gilby, leader of Chesterfield Borough Council, urged the Government to deliver the project ‘in full’.

She said: “This is about more than just rail and trains – it’s about new jobs, new homes and new starts for communities that have been denied these opportunities over many years.

“It is vital that the eastern leg of HS2 is delivered in full and that delivery starts as soon as possible.

“This is a critical issue for Chesterfield and Staveley.

“I will not rest in working with council and business leaders along the planned eastern leg to hold Government to account and to ensure that the Prime Minister honours his commitment to deliver HS2 east in full.”

Scott Knowles, chief executive at East Midlands Chamber, added: “The importance of this opportunity to regenerate, level up and make a real difference to people and communities cannot be overstated and must not be missed.”

Construction work on HS2 officially began in London last year.

Critics are worried about how it will impact wildlife, the countryside and their homes.

They are also concerned about the cost of the project – an official review leaked to the Financial Times last year put the price at £106billion.

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