There is a real sense of momentum building ahead of the HS2 Economic Growth Conference around the proposed East Midlands HS2 Hub Station at Toton near Nottingham, and the potential for major HS2 related investment in and around Chesterfield.

In September 2017, an unprecedented partnership of councils, business and local bodies came together to publish the East Midlands HS2 Growth Strategy: ‘World class-locally led’.

The strategy sets out plans to use HS2 connectivity to boost economic growth across the East Midlands to above the UK average by 2043 – generating 74,000 new jobs and £4 billion of GVA.

Key proposals include a new combined HS2 and Network Rail station at Toton, fully integrated with a multi-modal transport interchange and the gateway to a high quality mixed use ‘Innovation Campus’ linked to our university sector, capable of delivering up to 11,000 high quality jobs, new community facilities and a range of new housing opportunities.

Toton will be the most connective HS2 station on the network – and will transform connectivity between the East Midlands, Birmingham, Yorkshire, the North East and Scotland – as well as London.

The prospect of HS2 ‘classic compatible’ trains serving Chesterfield and the proposed Staveley Infrastructure Maintenance Depot have stimulated some exciting plans for the town and the north of the East Midlands more generally – as well as interest from international investors.

The East Midlands offer

Our Growth Strategy also seeks to use HS2 to enhance existing regional and national assets across the East Midlands. In particular the area spanning the D2N2 and Leicester & Leicestershire LEP areas which already comprise 3.15 million people, over 100,000 businesses and generate £65 billion of GVA. Key opportunities for growth include:

  • Derby: a city of world class automotive, rail and aerospace technology sectors. Home to Rolls Royce, Bombardier and Toyota and a thriving network of highly specialised manufacturing SMEs.
  • Leicester: a vibrant, diverse city with a strong record of SME formation and major growth potential. Home to the National Space Centre and a burgeoning space technology sector.
  • Nottingham: a city of thriving business services, biotech and leisure sectors and flagship companies like Experian and Boots, underpinned by world class public transport and local energy systems.
  • East Midlands Airport and Gateway: the biggest freight airport outside of London and home to DHL. The new East Midlands Gateway Freight Interchange will generate thousands of new jobs.
  • Loughborough: a national centre for sport and sports science. The Loughborough University Science and Enterprise Park forms part of a recently designated Enterprise Zone.
  • Chesterfield: an historic and well connected rail town with a strong engineering economy, and both a visitor destination and gateway.
  • Peak District National Park and Derwent Valley Mills Word Heritage Site: the most visited national park in England adjacent to the cradle of the industrial revolution.
  • Mansfield/Ashfield: key regional service centres with strengths in manufacturing and logistics.

There are also a range of growth and regeneration opportunities along the A52 corridor between Derby and Nottingham which we’re excited to be discussing further at the HS2 Economic Growth Conference:Castle Ward, Pride Park and Raynesway on the Derby side and the Nottingham Enterprise Zones sites; Alliance Boots in Beeston, Beeston Business Park and the Nottingham Science Park.

Making great places

Great place-making will be key to realising the opportunities that HS2 connectivity will create. Our proposals are ambitious, but build upon existing market strengths and add value to the attractive mix of urban and rural environments that already characterises the East Midlands. We have also sought to reflect the needs and aspirations of future generations in the scale and form of proposed development and by incorporating sustainable transport choices.

To drive this, we have identified two ‘Growth Zones’ which relate directly to the benefits of HS2 connectivity.

The East Midlands Hub Growth Zone is related to the area around the Hub Station at Toton. Here we are proposing the development of a new high quality ‘Innovation Campus’ with the potential to create up to 11,000 new jobs, community facilities and a range of new housing choices. It will be an inspiring 21st Century Gateway to the East Midlands and a destination in its own right. The ‘Toton Innovation Campus’ will sit at the heart of a thriving network of ‘garden village’ developments that will include the nearby Stanton and Chetwynd Barracks sites.

Chesterfield and Staveley will be at the heart of the North Derbyshire Growth Zone but activity will focus on the wider Derbyshire growth story. We will use HS2 to complement existing rail services and transform links between Chesterfield Station and the town centre, opening up regeneration opportunities and creating an attractive gateway to the Peak District National Park – one of the region’s unique destination offers. The Staveley Depot will be the heart of a mixed use housing and employment zone within the wider growth corridor and in the short term could also provide a construction base for HS2.

From Strategy to Delivery…

Although we hope to get some development away before HS2 arrives, this is a long term proposition that will require a long term commitment to fully realise. It’ll also be vital to ensure collaboration across industries is embedded into the vision – something which will be highlighted at the HS2 Economic Growth Conference.

Our initial focus has been on the emerging Phase 2b Hybrid Bill – which is in effect be the outline planning permission that will allow the HS2 route between Birmingham and Leeds through the East Midlands to be built.   Although the Bill will not be introduced to Parliament until 2019 or enacted until late 2022, a number of key decisions will be made over the coming months that will help to shape the future.

The primary function of the hybrid bill is to deliver the railway – so we are working closely with HS2 Ltd and Government to ensure our growth aspirations can be met.  In a practical sense, this comes down to addressing a number of key design challenges effectively:

  • Ensuring permeability across the hub station site to allow access for surrounding local communities and businesses in both Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire.
  • Making space for an integrated public transport interchange that that caters for bus & tram users, cyclists and pedestrians – as well as for cars and trains.
  • Competing the tram link from the existing park & ride site to the Hub Station and safeguarding the ability to extend fixed public transport links west and south of the Hub Station towards Derby and East Midlands Airport.
  • Ensuring a well-designed and attractive interface between the Hub Station and the proposed Innovation Campus.
  • Ensuring that there is at least passive provision for a classic compatible link between the Midlands Main Line and HS2 to enable direct high rail speed services between Leicester and Leeds.
  • Ensuring that HS2 Ltd and Highways England work together with local transport authorities to develop an integrated highway solution which will address existing growth pressures along the A52 corridor as well as access to the Hub Station.
  • Working HS2 Ltd and Network Rail to ensure the track infrastructure can support comprehensive and well integrated rail offer at the Hub Station and accommodate future growth.
  • We are also looking at the engineering and economic case for at least partially opening the Hub Station before 2033 to kick start some early development and address existing the very poor rail connectivity between Nottingham and Birmingham as soon as possible.

We have discussed our ambitions with the Secretary of State for Transport and the Chairman of Midland Connect Sir john Peace – and received a very positive response.

We are now working with the Department for Transport, HS2 Ltd and Midlands Connect to develop a joint programme of activity that can help us to realise our Growth Strategy in a structured and well evidenced way.

It is not all about getting money from Government – local partners also have a key role to play.   We have been working hard to understand the potential for generating local income to help forward fund enabling infrastructure and the scope and structure of the kind of locally-led delivery bodies we think will be needed in both Toton and Chesterfield.

We are just at the start of a long and challenging journey.  No doubt there will be bumps in the road along the way.  But we have a clear and compelling destination in mind – and every confidence we will get there!

We’re delighted to have been invited to the HS2 Economic Growth Conference to exhibit and discuss the huge development and regeneration opportunities within the region. Join us there > Book Now