Hundreds of Young People Sign up to HS2 Campaign

 

A campaign by Cheshire East Council to attract an HS2 hub station at Crewe has seen support from hundreds of students.

Young people from South Cheshire College and Manchester Metropolitan University were given the chance to have their say when the Council’s campaigns team paid them a visit earlier in the week.

The students were asked to fill out a feedback form in support of the ambitious proposals, which are backed by Network Rail, and more than 500 jumped at the opportunity to sign up

The bid for an HS2 hub station would mean thousands of extra jobs for local people, expanding the horizons of younger people and providing access to the capital city in less than an hour.

Council Leader Councillor Michael Jones said: “This campaign is all about sending an important message to the Government, that Crewe is the best place to create a gateway to the north and south of the country.

“We’re delighted that so many local young people are behind the campaign. After all, this will be the generation that will benefit the most out of these ambitious plans.

“We want to increase the opportunities for young people and ensure that we don’t have a ‘drainbrain’ problem, where home-grown talent goes elsewhere, seeking work and a better lifestyle.”

The Council is planning to launch a university technical college in Crewe in 2015, where engineers of the future will be trained up.

It would cater for youngsters between 14 and 19, who want to pursue careers in engineering and highskill manufacturing, working with major local employers to develop gold-standard vocational qualifications.

Pending approval from the Department of Education, the £10 million UTC will be built on the site of the old Victoria School building, on Meredith Street, and will eventually cater for more than 600 pupils.