10th January 2012

NIKKI SINCLAIRE CONTINUES TO FIGHT AS DETRIMENTAL HS2 PROJECT GIVEN GREEN LIGHT BY GOVERNMENT

Independent West Midlands MEP Nikki Sinclaire is promising to stand tall with local residents’ backing objections to HS2 against the government’s decision to approve the HS2 project.

Nikki’s call for the continued campaign against this project comes as Transport Secretary Justine Greening gives the green light to the scheme of which the final costs will run into tens of billions of pounds. As well as economic impact, HS2 threatens miles of green belt line and will see disruption for those living along the proposed route.

Nikki will be pushing for the government and the Midlands MPs to look at and the alternative options for improving capacity and journey times between Birmingham and London as the next phase of investment in upgrading the National Rail Network.

The £32 billion Project including the £17 billion+ Birmingham to London High Speed 2 Rail Link is simply not financially viable and proposed would simply increase the costs of travel and fail to live up to the lofty promises espoused by the proponents of the scheme. Nikki points to the failings of HS1 in Kent and the downgrading of local services there to support her argument that this project is a waste of money
Nikki said ‘’The Government must stop wasting taxpayers’ money on a vanity project as the new route destroys homes and villages. It would cut a motorway wide swathe through our countryside to Birmingham International where a huge new car park would be required’’.

“Upgrading the existing Euston to Birmingham International Rail Line would reduce travel times to 50 minutes and allow alternate stopping and flexible local services to be integrated into a faster service that also meets the commuting needs of the intermediate communities while still catering for rail freight.‘’
What isn’t mentioned much is the real concern that HS2 would lead to economic decline in intervening towns and cities including Coventry and Northampton. So in fact the project would almost certainly end up as a vacuum, sucking investment away from the West Midlands.

“There is a real danger of Birmingham becoming a subsidiary of London if the HS2 project goes ahead. The money would be better spent on further regeneration within the Midlands”.

Nikki refutes the argument that the project would bring sustainable jobs to the Midlands. The job creation would be temporary and transitory putting extra strain on other public resources such as health, education and housing. “Real funding needs to be put into skill training for long term job creation”

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12 July 2011
Nikki says No to HS2 flyer
Click here to download a pdf

23 June 2011
Report in the Birmingham Post

20 June 2011
NIKKI CRITICISES UNECESSARY COUNCIL SPENDING ON HS2 PROPAGANDA

Nikki has hit back at council spending taxpayer’s money on political propaganda. She has criticised Birmingham City Council for placing signs around Birmingham which publicise their support for the HS2 scheme. Nikki has taken money out of her own pocket to fund banners to counter balance the HS2 ‘yes’ argument, which have been placed next to the councils signs. Nikki has always been vocal in her scepticisms of the HS2 project – a £17 billion scheme which will link Birmingham and London with a high speed rail network. Studies claim that HS2 will create 22,000 jobs and that increased use of rail travel will be good for the environment as people give up their cars for the daily commute, but Nikki is concerned about the effects on people’s homes and the countryside, stating, “The government must stop wasting tax payers money on a vanity project as the new route destroys homes and villages. It would cut a motorway wide swathe through our countryside to Birmingham International where a new car park would be required”. “ There is a real danger of Birmingham becoming a subsidiary of London if the HS2 project goes ahead. The money would be better spent on further regeneration within the Midlands”.

 

17 June 2011
High Speed Rail Link 2 - A project too far and too fast
A reporting from Nikki's latest Magazine

West Midlands MEP Nikki Sinclaire is backing local residents’ objections to HS2 and is calling for the Coalition Government to review the alternative options for improving capacity and journey times between Birmingham and London as the next phase of investment in upgrading the National Rail Network. The £17 billion B’ham to London High Speed 2 Rail Link is simply not financially viable and proposed revised changes would simply increase the costs of travel. Nikki said ‘’The Government must stop wasting taxpayers’ money on a vanity project as the new route destroys homes and villages. It would cut a motorway wide swathe through our countryside to Birmingham International where a huge new car park would be required’’.

"Upgrading the existing Euston to Birmingham International Rail Line would reduce travel times to 50 minutes and allow alternate stopping and flexible local services to be integrated into a faster service that also meets the commuting needs of the intermediate communities while still catering for rail freight." What isn’t mentioned much is the real concern that HS2 would lead to economic decline in intervening towns and cities including Coventry and Northampton. So in fact the project would almost certainly end up as a vacuum, sucking investment away from the West Midlands.

What else could we do with the money? • Completely electrify the rail network • Upgrade every line including the appalling Cross- Country services, benefitting every part of the country • Reinstate the Building Schools for the Future programme • Put planes on our aircraft carrier • Keep two aircraft carriers! • Reinstate cuts to our police forces and police officers • Build 60,000 affordable homes every year • Stop university fees increase Every one of these would generate employment in every part of Britain. Common sense?