[ad_1]
There is a long-standing row over whether HS2 actually benefits people in Wales
A half-completed HS2 was described as “totally irrelevant” and “worse than useless” for north Wales by a vice-chancellor.
Wrexham University’s Maria Hinfelaar said any benefit would be lost, while a business leader blasted what was “a vanity project for England”.
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak is expected to scrap the northern leg of HS2 from Birmingham to Manchester.
First Minister Mark Drakeford called for more funding to Wales as a result.
At the Tory party conference, Mr Sunak is expected to announce HS2 will now only run from London to Birmingham, because of spiralling costs.
He is expected to set out a range of alternative projects in the north of England and Wales.
He is likely to argue these projects will be better value for money and can be delivered more quickly.
Maria Hinfelaar, vice-chancellor of Wrexham University, said “half an HS2” was “actually worse than useless” and “totally irrelevant”.
“I would’ve been supportive of a fully-completed HS2 from London to Manchester, it would have benefitted us as a university,” she told BBC Radio Wales Breakfast.
“We have 3,000 international students, many that fly into London. To tell them they could get on this train, it would have been a selling point.”
If the leg to Manchester is scrapped, she called on investment to improve links between north Wales and Cardiff, London and the north west of England.
HS2 had been classified an England and Wales project – with the UK government arguing that HS2 would boost reliability, connectivity and capacity on routes across the UK, including services into Wales.
A station at Crewe was earmarked as an interchange for north Wales, and because of this, Wales was denied any consequential funding.
On Tuesday as speculation mounted, he said: “If there is to be no link beyond Birmingham then the flimsy case for regarding this as an England and Wales development collapses completely.
“And at that point, the case for making sure of a consequential for Wales will be stronger still.
“Wales has already missed out on £270m as a result of HS2 misclassification in the current spending review period, that will only grow beyond that unless and until this misclassification is put right.”
Askar Sheibani, chairman of Deeside Business Forum which represents 2,000 members and supporters, was scathing about the whole project.
“We did not believe this vanity project in England would have any benefit for north Wales. We were never consulted,” he told BBC Radio Wales Breakfast.
His group straddles the Wales-England border in Flintshire and Cheshire, with a meeting and debate on the initial HS2 plans showing little support.
He believes more benefit for north Wales would have come from improving links to the two major international airports in north west England – Liverpool and Manchester – as well as the port of Holyhead on Anglesey.
He added: “We were ignored as usual and never consulted. This is a result of their madness.”
Mr Sheibani said firms he represented had been opposed to HS2 for more than a decade and the return on the investment was “abysmally low”.
Askar Sheibani called HS2 a “silly vanity project”
If HS2 services were to end at Birmingham, it brings into question the issue of funding for Wales.
There is already cross-party support in the Senedd to re-designate HS2 as England-only, and for Wales to get equivalent funding under the Barnett Formula – which could run into billions of pounds.
Flintshire council leader Ian Roberts said not only should Wales get “the consequential it’s deserved all the way along” but the UK government should apologise.
What do train passengers think?
Andrew Winston-Jones said the scrapping of the northern section of HS2 was “a shame for north Wales”
As speculation increased, passengers were asked on Tuesday what they thought about HS2.
Chris Saville, a Bangor University lecturer, said: “The only thing I feel very strongly about is that Wales should get the Barnett consequentials.
“The idea that it’s an England and Wales scheme seems pretty – on the face of things – ridiculous. And I guess if it’s not going to Manchester that would only apply more.”
Andrew Winston-Jones, a sales manager from Holyhead, Anglesey, said “unreliability” would continue “to prove to be a problem” for Wales.
“I should imagine not having that vital connection’s going to be a big hit for people,” he added.
Kevin O’Dell said: “I think it’s a waste of money for cutting 20 minutes, or whatever, off the total journey.
“Irrespective of right or wrong, if they can’t actually do it, then this idea of Great Britain is just laughable.”
- Additional reporting by Brendon Williams
[ad_2]
Source link