Cheshire East Council seeks greater say in HS2 plans

The bill laid in January seeks powers to lay new track and build new stations to link HS2 to Manchester

Cheshire East Council said it could petition against the government's HS2 bill in a bid to negotiate a better deal for the local area.

A report going before councillors said the High Speed Rail Bill did not cover the "necessary investments" at Crewe.

But it said the council remained an "advocate" of the principles of HS2.

It said it was not unusual for an authority to petition against a bill it supports to seek better mitigation for its area.

The report to the council's Corporate Policy Committee on 10 February said although the bill would provide the "critical infrastructure" to allow connectivity to 5/7 HS2 trains per hour, it did not include "the necessary investments at Crewe hub station".

Petitioning would also allow the council to "influence" the proposals to minimise the impact on the local environment, and to formally raise concerns, the report said.

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The HS2 bill for the section between Crewe and Manchester was laid in Parliament on 24 January.

In the report, the council said petitions may need to be submitted as early as March, depending on the date of the second reading of the bill.

Work is under way on phase one of HS2 between London and Birmingham. It is set to open between 2029 and 2033.

The next section will extend the line to Crewe, with the final phase taking HS2 to Manchester - with that part of the line expected to open between 2035 and 2040.