Cheshire council seeks HS2 compensation for Crewe

A council leader has called for Crewe to be compensated after the decision to scrap the second phase of HS2.

The Labour leader of Cheshire East Council, Sam Corcoran, said his authority had spent £11m to prepare for the high-speed line.

He also said the area's economy had missed out on hundreds of millions of pounds as a result of the decision.

The government has said the money saved would be spent on other transport projects instead.

Earlier this month, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak confirmed the high-speed rail link between Birmingham and Manchester had been scrapped due to high costs and long delays.

While those who were opposed to the line welcomed the decision, Mr Corcoran said: "Crewe would have benefited by £750m a year in extra value added to the economy so we need projects to boost that."

He also said he felt the wider region was owed compensation too.

Transport Secretary Mark Harper recently told the BBC the cancellation of phase two of HS2 would save £36bn.

He said as a result there would be money for other transport projects in the Midlands, while apologising to those on the phase two route who have had their lives disrupted.

But he said cancelling phase two had been "right for the country as a whole" while promising the government was "absolutely committed" to the stretch of HS2 between London and Birmingham.

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