Sheffield Chamber Director Richard Wright said: “We are not surprised by this announcement because the feelings of the new Government about commissioning the review have been well communicated.
“We welcome it because we are confident that the case for both HS2 (and Northern Powerhouse Rail) is strong and shows a good investment for the whole country, but particularly the north of England which has been under invested in for many years. This lack of investment has almost guaranteed that we cannot deliver our full economic potential and restricted both jobs and income.
“HS2 has had some very mixed publicity and promotes some very different opinions but we have been working with other Chambers across the north to try and dispel some of the myths and misinformation that has been released. Our document HS2 and Northern Powerhouse Rail – The Facts makes a very strong case both economically and performance wise and dispels some of the issues around environmental concerns.
“It is absolutely critical that Sheffield and Sheffield City Region are connected to both HS2 and Northern Powerhouse Rail. Without it we could be seriously risking becoming a very second class economy in the future and that will affect the job prospects and earning potential of everybody that lives in this region.
“We look forward to taking part in the review and having our input.”
Read the British Chambers of Commerce statement here.
