A shopping list demanding the high-speed rail developer provide new rail and tram lines and high quality stations for Birmingham has been handed to Parliament.
Birmingham and Solihull councils, business and transport groups want a better deal for the region when goes ahead to ensure the West Midlands reaps the rewards through jobs and economic growth.
And city council leader Sir Albert Bore today said he is ‘bullish’ about the prospects of HS2 going ahead and that he is ‘confident’ that Birmingham will see many of its demands met by HS2 Ltd.
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The council is calling for a higher quality design for the two proposed stations at Curzon Street in the city centre and the Interchange near the NEC site - including a ‘people mover’ system to link HS2 passengers to the Airport and Birmingham International Station.
The petition says that current HS2 Ltd proposals do not go far enough and if not improved will not maximise the economic benefits for the region.
There are also calls for a range of new transport links including a new junction on the M42 near the Interchange, train lines into Birmingham, including the reopening of the Tamworth line to passengers, a new Metro link to Curzon Street.
The council also wants a direct link between HS2 and HS1 lines in London to allow passengers an easy route from Birmingham to the Channel Tunnel and beyond.
It calls for recognition that the Interchange could become a spur for large scale economic growth and development in the Airport and NEC area.
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There are further requests for changes to the proposed Washwood Heath train depot to free up land for linked rail and engineering business - to maximise jobs on the site.
Finally there are demands for mitigation and compensation packages to minimise the impact of construction on businesses and the city.
The petition has been handed to Parliament to consider as it draws up laws governing the next stages of HS2 development.
Sir Albert Bore said: “HS2 can play a key role in securing the future economic prosperity of the West Midlands and we back the project 100 per cent.
“However if we are to secure the maximum benefits possible we need to make sure the project’s design best meets the needs of our region.”
He said that Birmingham’s staunch support the project left the city in a strong negotiating position with HS2 Ltd and could be one of the first petitions considered by the Parliamentary Committee overseeing the project.
And asked about the prospects of HS2 being ultimately delivered, Sir Albert said he is ‘bullish’. Chief executive of Birmingham Chamber of Commerce Jerry Blackett said: “We don’t just want HS2 to put down bits of rail and two stations, that will not deliver the econmic outcomes for the West Midlands.”