Chesterfield Borough Council’s leader, Councillor Tricia Gilby, is supporting an East Midlands wide project calling to Get HS2 Done.
HS2 is a once in a lifetime opportunity for Chesterfield and a top priority for Chesterfield Borough Council.
Establishing an international gateway into the Peak District National Park, the arrival of HS2 will redraw the economic map for Chesterfield; creating better connectivity for the one million people already living within 30 minutes of the station.
Councillor Tricia Gilby said: “Our Borough, and the council I lead, know that HS2 is a fantastic opportunity to deliver the biggest investment in north Derbyshire since the pits were sunk. It’s our greatest hope of a positive future for people who for too long have felt left behind and ignored.
“As we await the recommendations of the Oakervee Review in to HS2, I want to let the government know, once again, that it is not just the big cities that are desperate for HS2 to happen, in full.
“The prospect of a HS2 connection at Chesterfield Station is already driving major regeneration of the town centre and adjacent commercial areas. There is the potential for 4,740 new homes and 10,220 new jobs, 176 hectares of brownfield land brought back in to use, and some £270 million added to our local economy.
“The Staveley Infrastructure Maintenance Depot will help generate hundreds of new high-quality engineering jobs. We’re working with Spanish rail company Talgo to develop a new rail innovation and training centre at the nearby Barrow Hill Roundhouse.”
Youth unemployment remains a significant challenge in Chesterfield, and Chesterfield Borough Council believes that HS2 is a lifeline for a new generation of young people in our town.
The council is ready for HS2 and have already prepared a vision document and investment strategy for the HS2 Chesterfield railway station, as well as a Staveley masterplan that includes the Infrastructure Maintenance Depot.
Cllr Gilby continued: “I know that there is more work to do locally to convince people that HS2 is a good idea. That’s why we’ve rolled out the ‘HS2 and You’ programme to educate school children about what HS2 means to them, and to inform parents so they can look to raise their children’s aspirations for the future, whether that’s new job opportunities, better connections or more affordable housing.
“Chesterfield and towns like it have endured years of deindustrialisation, job losses and decline. Our economy is finally heading in the right direction, but growth still isn’t keeping pace with the national average. We need to give our young people hope that they can thrive in towns like ours, not just survive. HS2 coming to Chesterfield gives us the confidence to tell the next generation that the future is bright.”
