Tameside Council to vote on formally opposing HS2 bill

Tameside council is to vote on whether to formally petition the government against the HS2 bill which could see the Ashton-under-Lyne tram line severed for 'two years'.

An extraordinary full council meeting is due to take place on Monday, March 21 over the High Speed Rail Bill covering the Crewe to Manchester phase B of the project. Councillors are being asked to agree that the local authority will formally oppose the bill and petition against it in its current form.

Leader Brenda Warrington had previously said she was 'dismayed' by the fact that developing the new HS2 line could see Metrolink services to Ashton suspended for two years. And it is also being opposed by the MP for Denton and Reddish Andrew Gwynne who said it would be 'disastrous' for the borough.

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However an HS2 spokesperson previously said they aimed to 'limit disruption'. The report going before full council states that the bill 'as currently drafted' includes provision for the full closure of the Metrolink Ashton line for a 'circa two year period'.

The council wants it amended to enable the construction of a new depot at Ashton Moss, which would see a tram shuttle service operate between the Ashton and New Islington stops instead of the full closure of the Ashton Line. This, with some other works, would enable the Ashton Metrolink line to remain open throughout the construction of HS2, officers say.

"The council require that the existing Metrolink Ashton Line should be kept connected to the remainder of the Metrolink network for as long as practicable during construction of the HS2 station and modified Metrolink infrastructure and, when the line has to be