HS2 Sheffield Chamber Transport Forum Comment

3rd November 2014

Tim Hale, Chair of the Sheffield Chamber of Commerce's Transport Forum, and Chairman of Yorkshire-based Champion Hire Ltd said: -Today's announcements by HS2 and the government are welcomed, recognising as they do the necessity for northern cities to have significantly better transport connectivity to each other and to London.

-Economically this makes sense for Sheffield and for the country. -Practically, we in the Chamber will do whatever we can to work towards these goals. It would fill us with more confidence, however, if the national media would stop focusing on Leeds and Manchester and start to become more aware of the importance of the other great cities in the north, including Sheffield. -It is also encouraging to see that the proposed HS2 station for Sheffield is still open for further evidence before the final location is chosen, and we hope that a decision in favour of Victoria in the city centre will prevail in the end, on the basis of straightforward economic rationale. -It is only by working together that the northern cities will be able to maximise their strengths and be able to offer the Northern Powerhouse of which we are capable. We look forward to the opportunity to do so.