As the largest infrastructure scheme in Europe, HS2 was never going to please everybody. With any construction project on this scale, there will be a vast amount of opposition from environmental protestors, concerned about the effect on the UK's wildlife. Residents are also bound to be angry, with compulsory purchase orders and disruption to their lives.

However, when HS2 is analysed as a whole, it is clear that the positives for businesses and people far outweigh the negatives. In this article, we investigate just what the real benefits are.

Environment

Unfortunately, it is inevitable that wildlife populations will experience disruption during the construction phase of HS2, and that trees will also be cut down to make way for the new route. Yet when analysed over the long-term, it becomes clear that HS2 has the potential to improve conditions for wildlife to flourish.

Green tunnels are a major part of the project (more than half of the Birmingham to London route will consist of these tunnels) and are structures that will be covered with soil, grass, and trees, allowing animals to live and graze above the train line below.

In addition, the UK Government has committed to planting 7 million new trees near to the HS2 route. These will cover over 650 hectares of land, and have obvious advantages for both theenvironment and animal habitats.

Economy

16,000 jobs are expected to be created during the first phase of HS2, with £6.6 billion in construction contracts recently being announced. Once the project has been completed, the economic benefits will continue to be felt, with Birmingham and Solihull forecast to generate 26,000 new jobs.

Much of the positive economic impact is due to the faster journey times of HS2 - trains between London and Birmingham will take less than an hour, making the West Midlands economy more accessible to people and businesses from the South of England.

Indeed, KPMG anticipates that the economic output of Birmingham based businesses will rise to £31 billion each year by 2037.

Lifestyle

As one of the most crowded nation's in Europe, the UK is approaching breaking point, with many people experiencing daily frustration with the country's infrastructure. Put simply, poor rail services and congested roads are blighting the lives of millions of people!

With HS2 forecast to carry 300,000 commuters each day, the pressure on the road network will be reduced, meaning less congestion and road accidents. Lower numbers of cars will also lead to a drop in air pollution, helping to improve the health of residents, and hopefully leading to a decline in infant mortality rates.

Faster journey times will also give people and businesses access to a wider choice of rental options. Those individuals and companies who currently have their base in London, could reduce their overheads dramatically by moving to Birmingham and commuting to the capital when necessary.

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