Publicans express mixed views on High Speed 2 rail proposals
The proposed route and the locations of new stations in the West Midlands, North West, East Midlands and Yorkshire were unveiled this morning.
The 211-mile northern phase route of High Speed 2, follows the confirmation a year ago ofHS2’s 140-mile southern phase one route between London and Birmingham.
Construction for phase one will begin in four years and opens to passengers in 13 years. The routes announced today, running from Birmingham to Manchester and Leeds, will open six years after that.
Liam Fisher of Foley’s Cask Ale House in Leeds said: “I think it will bring more people into the town so that means that the venues will get busier which is a good thing.”
Julian Rose-Gibbs of the Victoria in Birmingham said he is “chuffed to bits” with the plans. “We are right on the doorstep of the station,” he said. “There will be lots of people coming through the city. The whole station will be re-modelled so it’s part of a large thing. The new entrance will be closer to us and there will be a John Lewis opening there. It’s a triple whammy for us. I’m really looking forward to it.”
However, Ray Barber of the Royal Oak in Tamworth, is not pleased with the news. He said the proposed line will be around a mile away from his pub. “I won’t be happy if does end up being close to my pub,” he said. “There’s not going to be a station there, just a railway line. It will mean knocking down houses. Once it’s built, it will be bad, but during the building, we may get more workers in the pub.”
A spokesman for the Department for Transport (DfT) told the Publican’s Morning Advertiser: “Businesses along the route would not have been told about the plans in advance. Those that are close to the route will receive a letter to outline the proposals and what compensation to apply for. Others that are nearby will be informed too, and told about the upcoming consultation.”
- Is your pub on the route? How will it impact your pub? Email gurjit.degun@wrbm.com
