28.04.20
LEP confirms £2.4m for council's investment in HS2 site
The Local Enterprise Partnership for Derby, Derbyshire, Nottingham and Nottinghamshire (D2N2 LEP) has greenlighted £2.4m in funding for Chesterfield Borough Council to invest in HS2 infrastructure.
The multi-million-pound investment will go towards developing the Chesterfield railway station are to maximise the economic benefits that will be brought to the town by the creation of HS2.
The funding will provide a much-needed boost to the area as its local economy rebuilds following the Covid-19 pandemic.
The Local Growth Fund allocation, a funding programme set up to enable investment in projects like this, will be the driver behind the delivery of D2N2’s venture.
The announcement (Apr 27) highlights the huge opportunity that HS2 presents, contributing to the achievement of the East Midlands HS2 Growth Strategy.
Key sites in and around Chesterfield railway station are being planned and developed thanks to a partnership between Chesterfield Borough Council, Derbyshire County Council, Network Rail, HS2 Limited and East Midlands Railway.
Studies show that around £25bn of the £74bn growth expected to benefit the area could come into Chesterfield and Northern Derbyshire, providing anticipated investment decisions are made.
D2N2 Chair Elizabeth Fagan said:
“HS2 will have a transformational effect, not just on Chesterfield but the whole of our region for generations to come.
“HS2 will greatly aid our efforts in upskilling our residents to meet the demands of a changing labour market as well as helping us achieve our goal of a carbon-free tomorrow for the region.”
Councillor Tricia Gilby, leader of Chesterfield Borough Council, said: “The development of the station Master Plan is a significant project for Chesterfield and northern Derbyshire’s economy.
“Our approach to HS2 has been to seek and develop benefits that will help local people find skilled and well-paid jobs and a create a station and a destination to inspire future generations.
“HS2 is a once in a generation opportunity to transform the fortunes of the borough with the prospect of 10,200 new jobs, 4,700 new homes and an annual uplift of £270 million in expenditure on local goods and services.”
It comes shortly after the Government announced that the proposed HS2 line will be built in its entirety.