Doncaster MP takes case against new HS2 route to Transport Secretary
The new HS2 route is the wrong one for South Yorkshire - that'll be the message from Doncaster MP Ed Miliband later as he takes residents' concerns to government
Doncaster MP Ed Miliband will urge the Transport Secretary to abandon the new HS2 route through South Yorkshire later.
He's meeting with Chris Grayling to pass on residents' concerns after it was proposed the route would change earlier this year - with a station in Sheffield rather than at Meadowhall.
The new route's seen opposition from residents in a number of communities in the county that could be affected, including a brand new housing estate in Mexborough which could be demolished to make way for the track.
Ed says it's not the right option for South Yorkshire:
"The connectivity benefits are less, the economic benefits are less to South Yorkshire and the claimed savings they're making form this route actually aren't going to materialise. I don't think this is the right decision for South Yorkshire - I'm going to see Chris Grayling to take our case to him before he makes his decision."
"I don't think it's the right decision for South Yorkshire as a whole. After all, the whole point of HS2 was to bring economic benefits to the whole region and if it's not doing that it's not the right idea. It's not high speed, it's not the kind of connectivity that we were promised and it doesn't bring the benefits to the wider region that it should be doing."
A final decision on the route's set to be made by Chris Grayling by the end of next month.
Ed says there's opposition from right across the county:
"It's not just a Doncaster feeling - it's a feeling elsewhere. Talking to colleagues in Barnsley, Rotherham and some in Sheffield - this isn't even a very good deal for Sheffield. The trains aren't going to go from Sheffield to Leeds - the track isn't joined up yet, there's no money for that. And the trains aren't even going to go from Birmingham to Sheffield. It's a very very bad solution."
But HS2 bosses argue the new route will benefit South Yorkshire.
A spokesman said:
“HS2 will dramatically improve journeys between the Midlands and the North, and London, boosting capacity, improving connectivity and helping to rebalance the national economy."
“We believe the new South Yorkshire route will be cheaper, easier to construct, provide better connectivity and affect fewer people than the Meadowhall option. We will continue to work with local authorities, business and people along the line of route to better understand their concerns."
“The Secretary of State will make a decision on the route from Birmingham to Leeds later this year. This will be followed by an opportunity for locally affected people and organisations to have their say on our proposals.”