Agenda item

Update by Adrian Smith, Nottinghamshire County Council, Corporate Director and Deputy Chief Executive

Adrian Smith, Corporate Director for Place and Deputy Chief Executive, Nottinghamshire County Council, delivered a presentation on the HS2 Development Corporation proposition, and an update on the Integrated Rail Plan (IRP),a copy of which is circulated with the initial publication of the minutes, and highlighted the following points:

a)  discussions around Toton as the regional station for HS2 have been ongoing for  more than 10 years, during which time there have been site suitability reviews in 2013, 2015, and most recently in 2020, with views sought from partners and stakeholders. All reviews have confirmed that Toton is the optimum location for the station in the East Midlands;

b)  all work to date can be attributed to the East Midlands HS2 Growth Strategy of 2017, with a focus on growth, development, jobs, productivity, and housing;

c)  a locally led Development Corporation was identified as a suitable delivery vehicle which has been developing the business case over the past couple of years. This has been submitted to Central Government in March 2021;

d)  the benefits of a station at Toton are not only to the south of the county, but also to the north of the county, including Chesterfield and Staveley;

e)  it is possible that with 3 Development Corporation sites, each in excess of 200 hectares, the scheme will be a world first, sited between three sizeable cities, close to national transport infrastructure such as the M1, East Midlands airport, and now the Freeport;

f)  it is anticipated that more than 10,000 new homes will be provided across the Development Corporation footprints by 2045, that 84,000 jobs will be generated across the region, and it can bring nearly £5 billion of GVA (Gross Value Added) to the region by 2045;

g)  there is a strong emphasis on the environment and sustainability, not just through the work of the National Centre for Decarbonisation proposed around the former Ratcliffe Power Station site, but also a number of demonstrators for net zero carbon emissions within the new development opportunities in housing and manufacturing;

h)  computer generated aerial images of the proposed Toton complex were presented and illustrate the connectivity with the 3 neighbouring cities of Nottingham, Derby and Leicester, including a very ambitious local planning framework document and supplementary planning document, with views illustrating the space which may be available for the potential innovation campus;

i)  the wider economic benefit will be optimised by ensuring access to jobs. Toton has the potential to connect more than 20 towns, cities and villages within phase 1 at a cost of just under £500m;

Integrated Rail Plan (IRP)

j)  in February 2020 the Prime Minister confirmed that the eastern leg would be built in full, however, the National Infrastructure Commission undertook a Rail Needs Assessment of the East Midlands and the North and an alternative option was identified with HS2 terminating at a station around East Midlands Parkway with connections to cities via the mainline network;

k)  close working continues with neighbouring northern authorities to justify the continuation of the line into the north, using the business case as a compelling document to support the line being built in full;

l)  it has been a cross government decision which will ultimately sit with the Prime Minster;

m)  the publication of the IRP has been delayed several times but it is now predicted to be released before the summer and officers continue, with support from neighbouring local authorities, to promote the campaign of engagement and make representations to the Government Ministers and departments with influence.

Member’s comments included:

n)  the benefit of this scheme sits across the whole region, including Long Eaton, where it would solve a lot of traffic issues. It is important to everyone in the East Midlands, and further north at Leeds, York, the North East (which has consistently seen under investment), and up to Edinburgh, that the line is continued as it will reach approximately 15m people;

o)  the region may have previously been overlooked for investments,, but the current united approach of ‘we’re all in this together’ has impressed Central Government and seems to be making the difference so it is important that this continues;

p)  by stopping the line at Parkway, the benefit to the East Midlands is minimal and congestion at Junction 24 of the M1 will become even worse; 

q)  the case has been made multiple times that the Toton site will economically benefit the whole of the County. With the Western leg progressing at speed, the decision needs to be made soon.

Resolved to note the updates.