JULY 2011 - Stoke-on-Trent City Council

<strong>JULY</strong> <strong>2011</strong> Our City 5Great workingcity wouldbenefit all wholive here andput us on mapEmilyRobinson, aged 21,of Clayton, checks outtrain times to Londonwhich could be slashed if<strong>Stoke</strong>-on-Trent werelinked to the proposedhigh speed railnetwork.ore high speed rail networkCouncil presses forhigh-speed hubTHE council is puttingforward <strong>Stoke</strong>-on-Trent’scase to benefit from theGovernment’s proposed HighSpeed Railway phase 2 (HS2)that would link London withthe Midlands and the North ofEngland.An interest in securing anintermediate station in the NorthStaffordshire area as part of therapid rail link has been confirmedby <strong>Stoke</strong>-on-Trent City Council inits response to the Government’s HS2consultation. The council believes that asub regional station in or near<strong>Stoke</strong>-on-Trent would bring newbusiness opportunities and economicgrowth to the city.The Government is proposing toconstruct a new Y-shaped high speed railnetwork, with an initial line betweenLondon and the West Midlands andonward legs to Leeds and Manchester.It is forecast that the new network,expected to cost £32 billion to construct,would generate benefits nationally ofaround £44 billion as well as morebenefits totalling a further £27 billion.By expressing a strong interest in theHS2 project, the council is trying toensure that the city benefits from thatinvestment. If HS2 is approved,Make itClick andEasystoke.gov.uk Report ahousing repair:stoke.gov.uk/housingrepairGlasgowManchesterLiverpoolWest CoastMain Line<strong>Stoke</strong>-on-TrentBirminghamA map showing the route of theproposed HS2 rail link whichcould bring massive benefits tothe city’s regeneration if thecouncil’s bid were successful.EdinburghNewcastleEast CoastMain LineLeedsSouth YorkshireEast MidlandsBirmingham Interchange(Birmingham Airport)HeathrowAirport Eustonconstruction could begin in 2017 withthe first trains running by 2025. Atpresent the only high speed route inBritain is HS1 – the Channel Tunnel RailLink.Council Leader CouncillorMohammed Pervez said: “I believe thereis real potential for significantregeneration benefits if we are part ofHS2. If we had an intermediate station itwould open up national and internationalmarkets for businesses in our city.Huge advantage“We know HS2 would bringManchester within 75 minutes ofCrossrail Interchange(Old Oak Common)ParisBrusselsAmsterdamFrankfurtLondon and we would beeven closer. Shorterjourney times to Heathrowwould be a huge advantage,providing real sustainableeconomic growth for ourregion.”Councillor Pervez added:“We must make our city theplace to bring business anda sub regional stationwould definitely enhancethe attraction of<strong>Stoke</strong>-on-Trentand the rest of thearea forinwardinvestmentas well asLondonprovidingrailconnectivity.“In a timewhen demandon railnetworks issteeplyrising weneed toensure we arelinked intoprojects likeHS2.”By City CouncilChief ExecutiveJohnvan deLaarschotYOU will no doubt have seen the words“Mandate for Change” appear in the centre pagesof this edition of Our City. That phrase, at themoment, might not mean a lot to you, but overthe course of the coming months and years, itwill form the bedrock of how <strong>Stoke</strong>-on-Trent CityCouncil works and what it stands for. The cityfaces unprecedented economic challenges in thefuture, and we must be equipped to meet thesechallenges head on. To do that, we need tochange the way the city council, and the cityitself, functions.We need to make <strong>Stoke</strong>-on-Trent a greatworking city, one where jobs are plentiful andthe city operates as efficiently as a Swiss clock.To enable this, we are promoting four strategicplatforms built on an effective and confidentcouncil. The four key areas are making<strong>Stoke</strong>-on-Trent attractive for new businesses;supporting existing businesses; promotinghealthy and independent lives and making thecity a great place to live.The overriding factor in all of this is a goal tocreate more jobs in the city – from whicheverything else can flourish. More jobs meanmore income, better standards of living,improved quality of life and better choices ofplaces to live. The potential for an EnterpriseZone makes the city more attractive for newbusinesses to relocate here, but we need to domore to market the city on the internationalstage and offer support to firms that want tocome here. Existing companies will be able tobenefit from increased financial advice andsupport, access to business coaches andrecruitment. Helping to develop new localbusinesses is a key part of what we want to do.Effective and confidentIn creating and bringing new jobs to the city,we can make people more financiallyindependent, and that will allow us to make surethe resources we have can be targeted in theright way. We can then do more to help those inneed and help them gain a higher level ofindependence. In that respect, we also need tobuild an effective and confident council, makingourselves leaner and in a better position to putour resources to good use. By prioritising ourservices, we can ensure we get to help the rightpeople, while continuing to offer great value formoney.The end result of all of this is making<strong>Stoke</strong>-on-Trent a great place to live. Creating abetter choice of housing, improving our openspaces, and maximising the attractions wealready have.We are the World Capital ofCeramics, home to the world famous StaffordshireHoard, we host Premier League football and theTour of Britain cycle race, and we will be a hostcity for the Olympic Torch Relay in 2012. All of thismakes us proud, but with this “Mandate forChange”, we will have even more to celebrate.Thiscity deserves no less. Help us make it happen.