Hopes that tens of thousands of jobs will be created by proposed rail link High Speed Two (HS2) have been raised as the transport secretary has approved plans for the project.

A statement from government-created HS2 Ltd., says the scheme will “create thousands of jobs”, while a Department for Transport (DfT) leaflet says: “Tens of thousands of new jobs… particularly at Old Oak Common in West London and Birmingham’s Eastside.”

Old Oak Common is within the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham (H&F), and the borough states that “at least 20,000 jobs” would arrive in that area alone, with London as a whole seeing 40,000 jobs “directly associated” with HS2, according to a House of Commons Transport Committee in November 2011.

A spokesperson for the borough adds these are “official Department for Transport figures”, mentioning a report from town planner SKM Colin Buchanan saying the project would “potentially generate over 115,000 jobs” across the wider North-West London, with the H&F spokesperson calling this a “conservative estimate.”

Birmingham City Council says that 22,000 West Midlands jobs will result from HS2 “plus associated improvements”.

Councillor Mark Loveday, H&F Council cabinet member for strategy, says: “HS2 is the fastest way to deliver much need new homes, jobs and opportunities in one of London’s poorest areas and the Government has recognised that the case for the Old Oak interchange is overwhelming.”

According to H&F, roughly 50% of working ages adults living in the proximity of Old Oak are unemployed, with some parts of the area in the top 1% of most deprived areas nationally.

Mike Whitby, leader of Birmingham City Council, calls HS2 “probably the single most important opportunity for economic growth in this region for generations.”

A spokesperson for HS2 says that the construction of the project is scheduled for 2017-25, ready to open in 2026.

Source: www.Recruiter.co.uk