News story: Up to £1.8 million to maximise benefits of HS2 for East Midlands

East Midlands HS2 Partnership will receive up to £1.8 million of funding to help realise the extraordinary potential of the new HS2 station at Toton, the Transport Secretary has announced today (11 July 2018).

With high speed trains serving Nottingham, Derby, Leicester and other mainline stations, a new station at Toton will deliver significantly faster journeys for passengers and improved connections to Birmingham, London and Leeds.

This builds on significant previous funding for the region, with the government providing Midlands Connect with £25 million to develop a transformational transport strategy for the region, as well as investing £1.8 billion on the region’s motorways and trunk roads and distributing £1.7 billion from the Local Growth Fund.

This additional funding will further develop proposals for public transport connections to the Toton hub, ensuring surrounding communities benefit from new rail, tram and bus services, as well as improved road access, to the new HS2 station.

Proposals also include the development of an innovation campus — creating 10,000 skilled jobs — and 4 new garden villages around the station, driving regeneration and unlocking new housing opportunities. By 2043, it is anticipated that up to 74,000 new jobs will be created, boosting the regional economy by £4 billion.

Transport Secretary Chris Grayling said:

As the future backbone of our national rail network, HS2 is vital for delivering better connections between our major cities, bringing communities closer together with faster, more frequent services for passengers.

It will also play a pivotal role in boosting productivity and prosperity across the country, with new and improved stations acting as catalysts for regeneration, jobs, new housing and economic growth.

Committing additional funding to support the development of a HS2 station at Toton will help drive forward ambitious proposals, ensuring that the region stands ready to seize the enormous benefits of HS2.

Cllr Jon Collins, Chair of the East Midlands HS2 Strategic Board and Leader of Nottingham City Council, said:

I am delighted about today’s announcement. The additional funding will help us to progress some of the key infrastructure projects that will make our growth ambitions a reality.

We will continue to work closely with HS2 Ltd and the Department for Transport to make sure the forthcoming HS2 Phase 2b Hybrid Bill supports the delivery the Growth Strategy.

Cllr Kay Cutts MBE, Chair of the Toton Hub Station Delivery Board and Leader of Nottinghamshire County Council said:

HS2 at Toton will present enormous opportunities for growth in the Midlands which is home to untapped potential.

I feel it is particularly important to listen to local people and businesses as we create new garden villages and opportunities for businesses and universities to be developed side by side.

This is exactly what our plans for Toton will deliver with the backing of government and this additional funding.

Peter Richardson, Chair of the D2N2 Local Enterprise Partnership, said:

HS2 will be a real ‘game changer’ for the East Midlands economy. The HS2 Hub Station at Toton together with the maintenance depot at Staveley and HS2 connectivity for Chesterfield are all massive opportunities for our businesses and in particular our young people. Today’s funding announcement represents a major step forward.

Cllr Simon Spencer, Vice-Chair of East Midlands HS2 Strategic Board, Chair of the East Midlands HS2 Mitigation Board and Deputy Leader of Derbyshire County Council, said:

Today’s announcement is a public vote of confidence in the work we have done to develop an ambitious vision for growth in the East Midlands.

As Chair of the new East Midlands HS2 Mitigation Board, I am also working to ensure the design of the new railway and associated development addresses the legitimate concerns of local people.