Hitting the business headlines this season has been the argument for and against the Government's proposed High Speed 2 rail line.
The planned £17 billion line from London to Birmingham will provide 250 mile an hour access between cities, which will see 14 trains an hour - each carrying as many a 1,100 passengers.
The Government's main argument for the train line is that it will provide a huge boost to businesses and the overall economy, while many green groups like the Woodland Trust have serious concerns about the damage it would cause to the environment.
To help business people decide for themselves we have put the business and environmental cases for and against:
FOR
• It is estimated the line could support the creation of 40,000 jobs
• HS2 will play an important role in promoting a valuable change in the economic geography of Britain - increasing growth and reducing regional disparities
• Ensuring capacity is available to handle high volumes of demand growth will benefit businesses by allowing fast access to the London markets
• Bringing the major business areas of the West Midlands and the South East together will lead to better economic specialisation
• HS2 will act as a catalyst for regeneration, as seen in cities like Lille in France
• £2 million per mile will be paid to limit the environmental impact and 2 million trees will be planted
AGAINST
• 21 ancient woods are under threat of direct loss from the proposals. Click here to view these woodlands
• An additional 27 ,which are within 200 meters, are likely to be severely damaged by the vibration from trains travelling at 250mph.
• In a recent letter to the Daily Telegraph 21 leading business people called on the scheme to be scrapped
• Up to 750 trains every day to places not on the new high-speed line are likely to be slowed down, or scrapped, according to HS2 documents
• The HS2 prospectus states that the current 120 fast trains a day between London and Birmingham on the existing line will be reduced to about 40 - affecting 40 million passenger journeys a year
• The majority of expected job gains are expected to be created in London rather than the West Midlands
• Statistical analysis has cast doubt on HS2's financial viability with the projected number of expected train journeys and ticket costs called into question
• Many campaign groups feel there are other route options which would be cheaper and far less damaging to the environment
• Up to 10 years of traffic congestion and noise pollution will be caused as part of the building process
Contact us
For more information on the Woodland Trust's position on HS2 or to enquire about corporate opportunities with the Woodland Trust email corporatepartnerships@woodlandtrust.org.uk or call 01476 581 112