OPINION
TeesTalk
We asked eight local business leaders what they made of the government ’ s apparent U-turn regarding extending HS2 to Leeds – will it , in their opinion , make any difference to them , their business or business generally in the Tees region ?
BEN HOUCHEN , TEES VALLEY MAYOR HS2 will deliver nothing for Teesside , Darlington and Hartlepool . If I had one per cent of HS2 ’ s budget , I could revolutionise public transport , but even without this , I ’ m ploughing hundreds of millions into transport . I secured £ 310m for our train stations , bus services and transport infrastructure and will fight for more .
If the government ’ s alternative plan cuts travel times from Darlington to Birmingham by 45 minutes and Darlington to London by 20 , this should be welcomed , as investors creating good-quality jobs for local people can get here quicker – but this must be delivered quickly .
JOHN TAYLOR , COMMERCIAL DIRECTOR , PARKER BARRAS HS2 was a waste of money , a pipe dream costing taxpayers billions of pounds and a decade of wasted preparation .
£ 310m of government money has been secured to upgrade our own rail services , bus stations and infrastructure . We are a resilient bunch here in Teesside – the cancellation of the HS2 to Leeds will not affect business in the region . Teesside is no longer a sleeping giant , but a giant that is awaking in a new dawn of a business revolution .
DAVID GARDNER , DIRECTOR , FAITHFUL + GOULD I am disappointed , although not entirely surprised , to see the U-turn on HS2 , and concerned about the scaled-back plans for the Northern Powerhouse rail projects .
Investment in the infrastructure within and connecting the North-East is crucial to support the delivery of the levelling up agenda across our region and to build upon the success of the freeport bid , Teesworks and the relocation of government departments to Darlington . The revised plans must deliver investment to support this connectivity to the wider UK .
ANDREW ROWE , OFFICE MANAGING PARTNER WYNYARD , AZETS On the face of it , it feels like a short-sighted decision that will worsen inequality in the North- East . HS2 would have taken some pressure off the East Coast rail network .
As it dilutes one of the first big promises of “ levelling up ”, we must hope that the funds will be used elsewhere on a more local level across our regional network – direct trains from Middlesbrough to London and Manchester Airport to Redcar being good examples of this working .
NICK WAITES , PRINCIPAL , CP WAITES While the government U-turn on extending HS2 to the north will not have a major impact on my business , it will be relevant to a number of clients , especially those who are frequent cross-country train travellers , rather than those travelling on the East Coast line . We clearly need improvements to the cross-country lines , but the implementation period is probably as important as the ultimately increased speeds .
What , for me , is of more concern is the fact that it is another broken pledge . It is becoming increasingly difficult to believe any pledges made by the government , which must have an impact on business confidence throughout the country and perhaps even more so in the north .
SHAK ASGHAR , CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER , NUDL It doesn ’ t really affect Nudl as we work nationwide and much of our work is done via virtual meetings . Where it may affect Nudl is by impacting potential customers in the affected areas . HS2 is about getting freight off the roads , while it will also be good for the environment . It will also free up more space on the local lines .
The other potential impact for Nudl could be among the investors , who have already pumped over £ 50bn investment , only to then fail to actually gain the benefits of a service to Leeds .
DOMINIC LUSARDI , TEES DIGITAL SECTOR AMBASSADOR I ’ m disappointed with the decision , but not surprised . The opportunities that high-speed rail bring to the economy and tourism would really help close the north-south divide , but this just goes to further increase it .
My concern is what impression it gives to people thinking about where to work / visit and how easy it is to get there . As we continue to grow the digital sector and create a growing demand for talent plus investment , we find ourselves missing out on what could be a great economic opportunity .
GLENN BARTLETT , MANAGING DIRECTOR , CLOSE PROTECTION SECURITY Personally , it won ’ t affect me or my business that HS2 won ’ t be reaching as far as Leeds , let alone the North-East , so I can ’ t pretend there ’ s any direct downside for me .
But I do think having a faster way to travel north from the capital – or from the north to the capital – would be beneficial to other businesses on Teesside and I can well imagine their disappointment when they ’ d be promised improvements . But we ’ re resilient people on Teesside and used to not getting the backing we deserve , so I ’ m sure we ’ ll battle on fine without it .
158 | Tees Business