11th March 2010

Leading planning and environmental charity, the Town and Country Planning Association (TCPA), have today welcomed the Government's response to High Speed Rail Two's report on the case for High Speed Rail.  

TCPA Interim Chief Executive, Kate Henderson said:

"High Speed Rail has a big part to play in delivering a sustainable future for the nation. We welcome the Government's report published today. Large infrastructure projects such as this, which will span over several electoral cycles, are vital to Britain's economic viability and competitiveness, as well as being part of the route to a low carbon economy with less dependency on short haul flights and car travel."

"High Speed Rail must also fit in with a larger integrated transport investment strategy in which each piece of the system makes its own optimal contribution, linking together into a seamless web of efficient and sustainable connections".

"In considering the proposals set out by the reports, it is paramount that Government considers any potential impacts on local communities and the environment, with meaningful consultation and support for all those affected."

The TCPA's recently published report, Connecting Local Economies - the transport implications, made the case for a national development framework, with a coherent, integrated transport strategy as a first step; giving certainty to local decision making and attracting much needed investment in the current economic climate. It also argued that High Speed Rail had an important role to play in creating economic opportunities for the country as a whole, but must not obscure the case for urgent short to medium-term investment in the rail network to remove bottlenecks and improve capacity.