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Originally Posted by Willd
jalfrezi's point seems obvious and correct to me. House prices increasing as a result of the local area being regenerated might be a minor issue for some but is generally a very good thing for the area. House prices increasing because an area becomes a commuter town for people working miles always is generally terrible for the area. I don't know how much of each will happen and how beneficial or otherwise HS2 will be for Birmingham but it seems obvious that at least some amount of the latter will happen.
One of the reasons (the minor reason) I come down in favour of HS2 is that the objections to it are so obviously specious. Jalfrezi's is the rare exception in being a correct downside but it's also being massively overstated.
Firstly, commuters from London is a small part of the the impact of HS2.
Secondly, commuters from London has a downside but is also a good thing. It's a transfer of wealth away from London, people do become part of the community where they live and and additional wage earners may well work locally rather than London. Local areas also become more viable for new business because of these commuters.
Thirdly, local generation of wealth will cause exactly the same pressure on housing with upcoming areas pricing out the locals (as we have seen in London). The only solution to this is the desperately needed planning to provide supply of houses.
Fourthly, the housing problem has become so fundamental that unless tackled its an argument against anything good and spreading the wealth around the country with better infrastructure is a necessary part of the way out of this mess. HS2 is a part of this. Much more is needed including Northern connectivity projects reversing the Beeching catastrophe etc etc but it will all face the same objection Jalfrezi raises as it will allow people to commute to areas with well paid jobs, driving up local house prices.
So it's a valid concern but it's not a very strong argument against HS2.
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It requires something more than simply better travel links for businesses to have an incentive to move to Birmingham. If HS2 is accompanied by increased investment and other incentives to attract business then it could certainly end up being a positive for the city but by itself it provides no real advantages that would make moving beneficial for businesses.
You raise the important point which is that if all that is done is HS2 then it's upside will be severely limited. However that doesn't mean HS2 isn't extremely important if a big upside is to be achieved. The short answer is HS2 plus loads of other stuff and that cancelling HS2 at this stage is probably a very bad idea.
Last edited by chezlaw; 02-14-2020 at 11:34 PM.