The venue for the Council meeting being held on Thursday 13 December has been changed to Long Eaton Town Hall at the request of councillors.
The meeting starts at 7pm and it is hoped that the change of venue will make it easier for residents to attend. This is a public meeting and although people attending the meeting are able to listen, they are not able to take part in the debate.
Councillors will discuss a proposed Mitigation Plan, a straight-talking message to HS2 Ltd that lists wide-ranging measures the council wants in place to deal with key issues like traffic, demolition of homes, compensation for homeowners and the impact on Long Eaton, Sandiacre and Stanton Gate.
Councillor Carol Hart, Leader of Erewash Borough Council, says:
“We want residents to know that they are, as always, welcome to attend this meeting which is clearly one of the most important in recent times and a crucial one for Long Eaton. We know people understand the severity of the impact on the town and the meeting will show that we have worked tirelessly to research and produce this package of measures on behalf of both residents and businesses.
“On the table for discussion by all our councillors is the Mitigation Plan, a forthright and detailed message to HS2 that we are fighting for, and want, the best possible deal for our community. We have worked tirelessly to address the very serious issues that HS2 brings to Long Eaton and that is shown in very clear terms in the many measures we want in place to reduce the impact.”
It has been drawn up as the proposed response to HS2 Ltd’s current consultation on its draft Environmental Statement and which the council says, fails to assess the true impact on Long Eaton, Sandiacre and Stanton Gate, and fails to provide the necessary mitigation for those impacts.
Councillor Michael Powell, Erewash Borough Council’s Lead Member for Regeneration and Planning, says:
“We fully understand and share the concerns of residents and businesses about the impact this project will have on their town and that is why we have responded with this ambitious but achievable package of measures. They are reasonable and necessary demands and ones that I believe will make a real difference and lessen the impact on the residents and businesses of our borough.
Among the proposals listed are:
- Homeowners on the east side of both Bonsall Street and New Tythe Street in Long Eaton to be compensated – with residents offered the choice of selling their homes to HS2 Ltd at compulsory purchase terms or to receive a £30,000 impact payment if they choose to stay in their homes.
- The low-level rail line to close because frequent closures of the level crossings on Station Street and Main Street would cause traffic gridlock in Long Eaton town centre. The creation of a new high-level link to the Midland Mainline to Derby is proposed and the level crossing areas turned into streets.
- Re-aligning the viaduct to save 41 homes on Bonsall Street from demolition.
- Several other proposed changes are suggested to tackle fears that Long Eaton will be split in two, with HS2 cutting through the town centre on a viaduct up to 19m high. These include calling for a bespoke design for the viaduct to integrate with the townscape and to feature modern business space in the form of 21st Century railway arches.
- Road access from Long Eaton to the Toton hub must be provided instead of HS2’s current proposal which would see residents having to take a 5km journey to the station – which is actually only 1km away as the crow flies.
- Acquire and develop the former Stadium Industrial Estate in Long Eaton to develop housing suitable for those who lose their homes to make way for HS2.
- Investment provided to refurbish the upper floors of Victorian lace mills to provide relocation opportunities for Long Eaton’s world-famous upholstery businesses.
The Mitigation Plan also includes proposals to lessen the impact of the HS2 route at Sandiacre Meadows and through the Trent Valley.
The proposed HS2 Mitigation Plan can be read in full on the council’s website at www.erewash.gov.uk within the agenda for the Full Council meeting on Thursday 13 December. The meeting is at Long Eaton Town Hall at 7pm.
