STOP HS2 delighted by announcement of a Transport Select Committee Inquiry into the Economic Case for HS2

Stop HS2 welcomes the Transport Select Committee (TSC) announcement of an inquiry into the Economic Case for HS2. STOP HS2 is pleased the Government scrutiny committee will be investigating the project in full and STOP HS2 looks forward to collaborating with experts when submitting evidence.

STOP HS2 also comments on the Transport Select Committee report issued today on the completed inquiry into Transport and the Economy.

During the Transport Select Committee (TSC) inquiry into “Transport and the Economy”, Stop HS2 provided both written and oral evidence to the committee.

Commenting on the report published today, STOP HS2 Director Penny Gaines said

“The government talks about HS2 being transformational, and having the ‘potential to enhance economic growth’. However, as the TSC report points out, the Government has not provided the evidence of how they expect HS2 to achieve this growth. When he was giving evidence to the Transport Select committee, Prof Henry Overman said that many projects are promoted on the grounds that they will be transformational, but in actuality, many of these claims do not materialise.

Stop HS2 does not believe that HS2 will be transformational or that it will provide enough economic benefits to the North to justify the £34 billion price tag. Instead it is likely that areas away from the few high speed stations will lose out significantly and that London will benefit disproportionally.

In addition, the TSC report discusses whether appraisal methods take adequate account of carbon costs of particular schemes. We have frequently said that HS2 Ltd claim merely that HS2 will be carbon neutral, and they say it may increase carbon emissions. If appraisal methods are changed to take account of carbon costs, then HS2 will be assessed as the environmentally damaging project it is.”

Lizzy Williams, Chairman STOP HS2 said

“STOPHS2 is pleased that Sir Rod Eddington’s warnings in 2006 regarding vanity projects such as HS2 were beginning to be taken seriously.”

Lizzy also added that she had been delighted to attend the Green Party Conference on Saturday where the Green Party voted to oppose, as policy, High Speed 2 due to it being completely unsustainable.

“HS2 is not green. Sir Brian Briscoe said recently on the Politics Show that if the project was not sustainable it would not obtain Royal Assent. The Green party opposing this project is a clear message to the country that HS2 is Greenwash and in the Green Party’s own words “it wouldn’t do what it says on the tin”.

The Government’s superficial coat of carbon neutral, green wash paint is wearing off far quicker than they anticipated”.