Agenda item

9.52pm – Councillor Lisa Homan moved, seconded by Councillor Wesley Harcourt, the special motion in their names:

“This Council reaffirms its support for HS2. The Council is very disappointed at the government’s pausing of the programme and is deeply alarmed at calls from conservative London Assembly members to scrap it.

The Council notes that HS2 will bring massive transport, economic, environmental and employment benefits to both Hammersmith & Fulham and much of the UK and is exactly the type of bold national infrastructure project the country needs.

Deliberate delay over the project’s future risks the delivery of 25,000 desperately needed new homes, 65,000 new jobs and around 3 million square metres of new business and retail space in the Old Oak & Park Royal Development Corporation (ODPC) area alone of which over 80% is within Hammersmith and Fulham. In addition to risking the biggest regeneration project in London, delays also put at risk regional and redistributive growth in the midlands and north of England.

The Council calls on the government to stop dithering and to provide immediate certainty to the future of HS2 and resolves to do everything within the Council’s power to ensure it happens.”

Speeches on the special motion were made by Councillors Lisa Homan and Wesley Harcourt (for the Administration).

Under Standing Order 15(e)(6), Councillor Mark Loveday moved, seconded by Councillor Andrew Brown, an amendment in their names:

“In the first paragraph, delete “Conservative London Assembly members” and insert “Conservative, Labour, Green and Brexit Party politicians”

Delete final paragraph and insert:

“The Council calls on the government to provide immediate certainty to the future of HS2 and resolves:

to make an urgent detailed submission to the Oakervee Review arguing the case for HS2, the Old Oak rail interchange and the benefits of the scheme to our community;

and

to do everything within the Council’s power to ensure it happens.””

Speeches on the amendment to the special motion were made by Councillors Mark Loveday and Andrew Brown (for the Opposition) – and Councillor Stephen Cowan (for the Administration).

The guillotine fell at 10.18pm (there was a time extension due to a fire alarm disrupting the proceedings earlier in the meeting).

The amendment was put to the vote:

FOR                            9

AGAINST                  32

NOT VOTING            0

The amendment was declared LOST.

The substantive motion was then put to the vote:

FOR                            UNANIMOUS

AGAINST                   0

NOT VOTING            0

The substantive motion was declared CARRIED.

10.22pm – RESOLVED

This Council reaffirms its support for HS2. The Council is very disappointed at the government’s pausing of the programme and is deeply alarmed at calls from conservative London Assembly members to scrap it.

The Council notes that HS2 will bring massive transport, economic, environmental and employment benefits to both Hammersmith & Fulham and much of the UK and is exactly the type of bold national infrastructure project the country needs.

Deliberate delay over the project’s future risks the delivery of 25,000 desperately needed new homes, 65,000 new jobs and around 3 million square metres of new business and retail space in the Old Oak & Park Royal Development Corporation (ODPC) area alone of which over 80% is within Hammersmith and Fulham. In addition to risking the biggest regeneration project in London, delays also put at risk regional and redistributive growth in the midlands and north of England.

The Council calls on the government to stop dithering and to provide immediate certainty to the future of HS2 and resolves to do everything within the Council’s power to ensure it happens.