Grant Shapps privately pledged to drop controversial £3bn subsidiary of railway line HS2 passing through the constituency of 1922 committee chairman Sir Graham Brady and two other Tory MPs, The Guardian understands.
The link, known as the Golborne branch, was supposed to connect main Crewe-Manchester HS2 Line to West Coast Turnpike just south of Wigan.
Brady, Conservative MP for Altrincham and Sale West, who will be affected by the spur, wrote to the voter last week, stating that Shapps had given him “categorical verbal assurances” that it would removed from HS2 account currently passage parliament.
The link was in the thread of active lobbying by deputies in the districts of Warrington, Wigan and Trafford, where their constituencies will be affected. But private Shapps Brady assurances, who runs in powerful Committee of 1922 of bench, questions may arise as to why transport secretary does not have made public Any decision.
government promised in built-in rail review consider alternatives to a branch that would have joined HS2 to the West Coast Mainline and reduce travel time to Glasgow. However, the HS2 bill published in February included plans to save him, much to his dismay of deputies in in area.
Despite the appearance of Link to Golborne in legislation, Brady told his constituent that soon to be removed from the bill of the Department for Transport, claiming it’s only in there to prevent delays in his publications.
In his letter, Brady said: “I have received categorical verbal assurances from secretary of declare that government submit an amendment as part of of in second reading of check. This will remove Golborne’s spur from the legislation. It is expected to take place in summer time. The only one reason that the bill was introduced with spur still in place is that a revised environmental impact assessment would delay the introduction of legislation”.
The account is likely to be accepted over in next session of parliament after the Queen’s speech in May, with this second reading in summer. Alternative routes are being considered, but one proposed in in union connectivity review drew criticism from the Wigan Council, which is in touch with Golborne, for bypassing the city, which means that he will lose the benefits.
Brady told the Guardian: “Local Conservative MPs Andy Carter, James Grundy and I have been campaigning for years to make a deal for this £4 billion white elephant will be dumped. BUT new environmental impact assessment would delay implementation of check for months, so that the spur of Golborne in published bill, but I’m glad that government accepted our common sense argument.
“Hope, next thing will decision to place the proposed “Manchester Airport” station at the airport – not quarter of a mile from Davenport Green currently proposed.”
James Grundy presents Lee where opponents say village of Lawton to lose business park, civic field and woodland, if the link is continued. Andy Carter represents South Warrington, campaigners say it will negatively impact green space but not benefit the city. Labor MP Charlotte Nichols, whose residence is in Warrington North, also opposed the spur. At Altrincham, Brady criticized the line for separating the historic village of Warburton.
Shapps has previously spoken out not being enthusiastic about Golborne’s spur, referring to it. in 2020 as an example of en area what could be recycled by saying this added billions in cost with little use.
BUT government the source said: “No decisions haven’t been yet made. It’s the government’s intention to provide the right infrastructure for long-term benefits for the railway network North and Scotland”.
