Member Article

Henry Boot boss urges government support for Doncaster’s High Speed Rail College bid

The only missing ingredient in Yorkshire’s bid for the High Speed Rail College is Government support according to a prominent Yorkshire business figure.

Simon Carr, managing director of Henry Boot Construction and vice-chair National Federation of Builders, has summed up the staggering level of support from the public and private sectors up and down the country for the High Speed Rail College in Yorkshire and called for the Government to stand up and support skills led growth in the North.

Simon said: “There is only one ingredient currently missing – Government support. We can see the benefit of such support with the huge benefits brought to the West Midlands through the backing for Jaguar Land Rover.

“Now it’s time to see this level of support, commitment and investment in the North. Bringing the High Speed Rail College to the North of England would be a genuine game-changer spreading the benefits of HS2 investment way beyond the line, supporting skills led growth. It would show the Government really means what it says.

“The support for Yorkshire’s High Speed Rail College bid has been overwhelming. It has attracted support from the Deputy Prime Minister, North and East of England business leaders, LEP’s from the North East to Hull and Humber, Chambers of Commerce from North Yorkshire to Cambridgeshire.

“Prestigious, world leading universities are backing the bid and ready to provide high level skills training.

“The Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre and the Rail Innovation and Technology Centre at the University of Sheffield are examples of how Universities in the region are at the forefront of pioneering engineering research and innovation, and it is this best practice that would be bought to Yorkshire’s High Speed Rail College.”

Doncaster’s bid is private sector led by the Centre for Rail Engineering And Technical Excellence (CREATE), coordinated by Doncaster Council and supported by Sheffield City Region Local Enterprise Partnership, business leaders and partners, including local authorities, across the region and further afield.

An advisory group consisting of representatives from Crossrail, HS2 Limited, the Department for Business Innovation and Skills and the Department for Transport is expected to make a decision shortly. Doncaster is up against Birmingham, Derby and Manchester for the research and teaching centre.

There is still time for people to back Doncaster’s campaign by pledging their support at:www.businessdoncaster.com and posting comments on Twitter: #railtown

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Clare Burnett .