Agenda item

Report of the Director of Services

Presented by the Regeneration and Planning Portfolio Holder

Having declared a disclosable pecuniary interest, Councillors R Blunt, J G Coxon, C Large and S Sheahan left the room during consideration of this item and took no part in the debate or voting thereon.

Councillor T J Pendleton presented the report to Members, referring to the Council’s objection to the proposed route due to the lack of positive impact upon the District.  He added that if the Council’s suggested route was not accepted, it would be necessary to represent local concerns in response to the consultation on the current route.  He referred in particular to Measham, the regeneration of which would be harshly impacted by the proposed route, and the canal basin and wharf would be put in jeopardy.  He added that any chance of reopening the Ivanhoe Line would also be scuppered.  He urged Members to make representations in respect of the damage that would be done to the District.

Councillor N Smith felt that the need to protect Measham needed to be emphasised even more strongly.  He referred to the plastics factory which employed over 500 people.  He added that if the factory was lost due to the proposed HS2 route, it would not be relocated within the District.  He stated that the proposed route would also have an impact on the proposed housing developments in Measham and these would need to be built elsewhere.  He referred to the re-watering of the canal and felt that if HS2 was going to happen, it would be a good opportunity to secure some funding to enable these works.  He asked that this be included in the submission.

Councillor T Neilson agreed that Measham would be severely impacted by HS2 and felt that it was a massive waste of money.  He added that it would impact upon the industrial estate and prevent any further development of that site.  He added that although the route would not require the demolition of houses in Measham, it would have a significant impact upon the houses on Amersham Way.  He felt that the case had to be made about the new development which was underway in Measham.  He agreed that the report highlighted the impact upon Measham very well.  He added that the National Forest/Ivanhoe Line would affect the District as a whole.  He felt that there had not been a huge commitment to getting work started on reopening the line.

Councillor J Legrys welcomed the report.  He stated that the Council had been pushing for the Derby route for some time, however there were a lot of Members who did not believe it would ever happen.  He expressed astonishment that the Conservatives had produced a written statement that they were going to support the National Forest Line.  He welcomed this statement and the cross-party support for the National Forest Line, however felt it was uncertain whether this would be achieved.  He stated that HS2 was ‘pie in the sky’, however the people who would be affected by it needed to be protected, as the current route would be a disaster.  He hoped that the airport could convince HS2 Limited that if the route had to come to North West Leicestershire, a station under the airport should be provided.

Councillor A C Saffell referred to the recent consultation event which had taken place in Castle Donington Ward.  He reported that the attendees had asked how much it was costing to allow Roxhill to go ahead with their plans.  He stated that the answer was £120,000,000 and expressed astonishment that Roxhill were not being asked to pay the cost as they were a private profit-making company.  He supported the suggestion that there should be a station at the airport as Toton was the wrong place for a station.  He added that a station at the airport would serve all three cities, and would provide the District with some benefit.  He felt that the Government should not be spending money to support a private venture.

Councillor D J Stevenson felt that an underground station would not provide any benefit as it would not improve journey times.  He stated vehemently that there was no point in ripping beautiful countryside in half.

Councillor T J Pendleton stated that he was heartened by the support of the Opposition.  He explained that in order for HS2 to have an impact upon journey times, it could not stop very frequently.

It was moved by Councillor T J Pendleton, seconded by Councillor N J Rushton and

RESOLVED THAT:

The views of Cabinet as agreed at its meeting of 14 January 2014 be endorsed.