Andrea Leadsom Hails Decision on HS2

I am so sorry for all the residents of South Northamptonshire who have been personally affected by the HS2 project over the last 10 years.

I have personally never supported this project on the grounds of poor value for taxpayers' money, so I am heartily pleased that the Prime Minister has decided to scrap the next leg of the project, preventing the waste of a further £36billion, and instead freeing it up for infrastructure projects in the Midlands and the North.

I think that there now must be a dividend for South Northamptonshire after all the years of disruption and personal misery for many. I had already written, back in July, to the Secretary of State for Transport proposing a ‘Silverstone Halt’ being added to the HS2 line, which would provide much needed transportation for the 500,000 Grand Prix spectators for just four days a year.

I will now be writing to the Prime Minister seeking a Silverstone station that would be in operation all year round. I will also request that some of the HS2 funds that are being repurposed to boost transport links be invested in our local bus network, which at present is woeful.

I realise that many in South Northamptonshire will have questions regarding the implications of the decision to scrap the next leg of HS2, so please do get in touch via email, andrea.leadsom.mp@parliament.uk, with any specific issues you have.