MP Pushes for HS2 Reroute

ANTOINETTE SANDBACH MP: CHOICE OF HS2 ROUTE IN CHESHIRE SET TO COST TAXPAYERS AN EXTRA £750m

Antoinette Sandbach, the MP for Eddisbury believes the current proposed route for HS2 through the Cheshire Salt District is a costly mistake. An independent report published this week by engineering consultancy Terra Consult, claims that the new route, which was proposed by HS2 in November 2016, was decided without proper consideration of the costs or engineering challenges of building HS2 through this area of high subsidence risk. This short section of the route will cost an additional £750m.

Antoinette commented: "It is unacceptable that the DfT and HS2 have picked a route which will cost the taxpayer an extra £750m, and will be extremely challenging to build due to the unique geology of the area and extensive mine workings throughout. It is entirely the wrong place to build a high speed railway and I am calling for a rethink".

Antoinette first raised concerns with Andrew Jones, the HS2 Minister back in September 2016 when she discovered that HS2 had not carried out ground assessments and that the proposed route was, at that time, set to go right through the middle of the UK's strategic gas reserves. Whilst the route change announced in November 2016 means the route now avoids most of the gas reserves, there are still many risks and significant cost increases with the new route. Antoinette commented: "When HS2 saw the risks and costs of building here an easier and cheaper route should have been proposed. It is not good enough to simply carry on regardless of cost and risk. This is taxpayers' money we are talking about. HS2's ballooning costs are already under scrutiny and I will be ensuring that the National Audit Office is made aware of the Terra Consult report".

Antoinette commented further: "HS2 appear to have ignored the evidence and instead propose to "engineer their way around it" by building 26m high viaducts and 15m high embankments requiring 378,500 lorry movements bringing in spoil and causing noise and visual blight. The route also crosses the active parts of the Winsford Salt Mine (which provides salt for gritting the UK's roads in winter) and a hazardous waste site, goes through a larger subsidence area than previously, involves diverting a major road and has two additional canal crossings than previously. And all at a further cost of £750m to the taxpayer. It's ludicrous".

Antoinette added: "There are alternative routes available to the East and which follow the M6 which would cost considerably less, the journey time would be quicker and they would not come with the engineering challenges and possible safety risks of the current proposed route. DfT and HS2 need to look again at their choice of route. This is the wrong route".

This article is from our news archive. As a result pictures or videos originally associated with it may have been removed and some of the content may no longer be accurate or relevant.