HS2’s Growth Taskforce has recommended setting up local delivery bodies to maximise the benefits created by high-speed rail up and down the country.
Presenting a new report today, the taskforce set out a series of measures that it believes will ensure HS2 delivers the level of growth expected.
Recommendations include; engaging with local leaders and businesses to invest in integrated transport links, communicating career opportunities to young people and helping British firms to bid for HS2 contracts.
The report also recommends the Government appoint a HS2 Minister to oversee the delivery of the project’s growth strategy.
“HS2 can help rebalance the economy, kick-starting growth and regeneration in our cities,” reads the report.
“Our recommendations call on HS2 places to develop dedicated HS2 Growth Strategies to bring forward development earlier and to establish dedicated delivery bodies to coordinate investment around HS2 stations.
“The Government should support local authorities to deliver their HS2 growth strategies and provide national coordination through a central delivery body (which works with local delivery bodies).
“To ensure growth and regeneration around HS2 remains a priority, the Government should appoint a Minister with responsibility for overseeing this support and delivery of the strategies.”
Lord Deighton, taskforce chairman, said: “Like the Olympics,HS2 has the potential to be a great British success story, bringing jobs and growth to the whole country. Our report sets out the common sense steps that we need to take now to achieve this.”
A copy of the full report can be accessed here.
This is the opposite of The Bonfire Of The Quangos.
I would prefer an article that examines where the money is going, listing the current consultants, likely contractors and operators, linked to political connections.
Large projects always have the potential for corruption and this is no exception. Ears to ground please.
The report is largely consultants’ standard fare
– small amounts of common sense padded out with lots of not very meaningful
fluff. And it seems to think the world revolves around HS2 – everything should
be refocused on this. Which of course it shouldn’t. HS2 is a large project, and
needs to be considered in cities’ strategies at an early stage (never mind that
many of the station locations are TBC…).
It would be interesting to see how much is going to who though – there’s a lot on PR and consultants.