As readers will know, the Prime Minister has announced plans to redirect spiralling HS2 costs to fund a raft of transport projects across the country to deliver cheaper, faster and more reliable transport. But what does it mean for Cheltenham?
In a nutshell, it’s good news for us. First of all, the Government will now be investing £1.75 billion into the Midlands Rail Hub. That’s a godsend for our town. The scheme will add 14 million more seats on the rail network each year and provide new, faster and more frequent rail links to the Midlands, one of the UK’s fastest-growing regions.
Improving train services for Cheltenham has been a key area of focus for me since 2015. Cheltenham will only thrive if it has good transport links. That’s how we attract investment, skills and job opportunities. Despite the world being different post-pandemic, regional connectivity still matters.
The second Cheltenham dividend from the HS2 decision relates to our roads, and the Prime Minister’s announcement of billions of pounds of extra investment to fix the potholes. As you know, potholes are a particular bugbear of mine. We have made significant progress locally, with resurfacing work to the Prom, St James’ Square, Leckhampton Road, Tewkesbury Road, Montpellier Spa Road and so on. But there is further to go. Just look at Caenarvon Road near Morrisons! With this extra cash, we will solve this issue once and for all.
All this is of course in addition to the £400m A417 Missing Link project. Work on this once-in-a-generation opportunity has begun and will dramatically reduce congestion, air pollution and journey times. That in turn will make Cheltenham even more attractive as an investment destination, and help secure our town’s future.
These projects are a vote of confidence in Cheltenham’s economic future. Collectively they mean our town will become one of the best connected in Britain. When you add in the £24m Government cash for the cyber hub, £11m for GlosCol and £6m for UGlos’ digital offer, plus gigabit broadband, Cheltenham is in pole position to attract even more talent and investment.
It will all help our town deliver on the vision I set out in 2014: to protect our heritage, but rapidly embrace the opportunities of technology. That’s how we will be fit for the future.
[Column published in the Glos Echo and Cheltenham Post]