Phil Burrows, our Building Manager here at the warehouse, presented his evidence to the HS2 Bill committee on Tuesday 2nd September.
The rights and wrongs of HS2 have been raging ever since the Tories announced their support for it in Birmingham at their party conference in 2008. Phil, however, was in London to present our case for better connectivity for the area around the Warehouse and Digbeth in general, if it does indeed happen. This is both during the construction phase and once the thing is operational. Phil has had numerous meetings with other Digbeth residents, local business, and the City Council as well as HS2Ltd. There is a general consensus that Digbeth gets a raw deal and Phil was batting for those who will get that raw deal.
Phil and others have established that HS2 is not interested in the finer details of the scheme and how the scheme will affect people’s lives and day to day business. They are in charge of a national project of huge proportions and the fine detail is not what matters to them. We are all too aware of the nature of grand projects and the allure they generate. However at all times the detail is important as are the impacts on people who are currently here. That is why Phil went to London to make his case on behalf of us all. We won’t hear the results of the bill committee’s deliberations for a year or so but at least they have heard the views from the Warehouse.
A big hand all round to Phil for sticking with a painful process, designed to stop people from taking part.
Chris Crean
