North Wales Assembly Member Mark Isherwood has criticised UKIP Assembly Members for this week calling for the HS2 high speed rail project to be scrapped, despite the massive potential benefits it would bring to North Wales.
Two weeks ago, UKIP joined the other political parties in agreeing a Welsh Conservative motion, moved by Mr Isherwood, which recognised that the proposals contained within ‘A Growth Vision for the Economy of North Wales’ offer the basis for improving the economic performance of North Wales and called on the Welsh Government to work with the UK Government and the North Wales Economic Ambition Board to deliver upgrades to the North Wales line.
This week they put forward a motion calling for the HS2 project to be scrapped and the capital savings used ‘to enhance the existing rail network, including…upgrading of the north Wales rail network’, a move described by Mr Isherwood as “inconsistent” and “entirely contradictory”.
Speaking in the Chamber, Mr Isherwood said:
“The North Wales Economic Ambition Board’s report, ‘A Growth Vision for the Economy of North Wales’, supported by the Leaders and Chief Executives of all six unitary authorities in the region, the North Wales Business Council, both Universities and both FE college groups, calls for the devolution of powers by the Welsh Government over employment, taxes, skills and transport. The infrastructure plan to enable growth, detailed within it, includes the delivery of a detailed prospectus called ‘Growth Track 360’, ‘for rail service improvements and connectivity with HS2 at Crewe hub—including proposals to improve: Service frequency and speed improvements…; Network capacity improvements…; Rolling stock improvements…; Electrification of the network…; Improved stations at Deeside’.
“UKIP voted for this two weeks ago. The ‘Growth Track 360’ prospectus itself was issued in May 2016 by the Mersey Dee Alliance, the Cheshire and Warrington Local Enterprise Partnership and the North Wales Economic Ambition Board, and called for substantial rail investment to enable growth in the cross-border economy of the north Wales and Mersey Dee region.
" ‘Growth Track 360’ was launched to secure £1 billion of rail improvements to transform the North Wales and Cheshire regional economy and deliver 70,000 new jobs over 20 years. It's calls include 'the electrification of the line from Crewe to North Wales so the region can be linked toHS2 and fast London trains can continue to Bangor and Holyhead".
He added: “Additional capacity, with faster journey times, are intrinsic for commuters and freight transportation, and being able to link into HS2—and I’m quoting from the ‘Growth Track 360’ document—means that North Wales can’t be dismissed by companies and people looking to relocate. The removal of obstacles created by the lack of rail infrastructure will reduce congestion, improve business logistics and attract investment and jobs.
“In the interests, therefore, of both consistency and solidarity with North Wales, I urge UKIP to recognise, as they did two weeks ago, that the success of the 'Growth Vision for the Economy of North Wales' is predicated in significant part upon the HS2 project not being scrapped, and therefore to return to the position they supported here just a fortnight ago.”
ENDS