Construction on the controversial HS2 rail line linking Manchester, Birmingham, Leeds and London finally commences this weekend – with the government suggesting it could create 22,000 jobs.
The full network will see trains travel at 225 mph spread over 330 miles – with work anticipated to take around twenty years to complete.
The first phase – which will connect Crewe, the new Birmingham Curzon Street, Birmingham Interchange, and London Euston – is set to launch by 2031.
Since being revealed over ten years ago, HS2 has been plagued with delays and invited considerable criticism from some parties – who are campaigning for improved connections in northern England where services have been notoriously slow and unreliable for several years.
ADVERTISEMENT
Originally tipped to cost around £37.5 billion, the current estimates are that HS2 will end up toppling the £100 billion mark.
A campaign group called Stop HS2 has been set up in an attempt to halt work on the rail line, whilst Extinction Rebellion are set to protest the service at Manchester Piccadilly this morning (4 September).
ADVERTISEMENT
However, Boris Johnson has continued to back the project.
“By creating hundreds of apprenticeships and thousands of skilled jobs, HS2 will fire up economic growth and help to rebalance opportunity across this country for years to come,” the Prime Minister argued.
Illustration for Curzon Street Station – Robin Stott/Geograph
Stop HS2 campaign manager Joe Rukin said: “Trying to spin HS2 as a job creation scheme is beyond desperate…
ADVERTISEMENT
“Creating 22,000 jobs works out at almost £2m just to create a single job.”
But today work officially begins, with Transport Secretary Grant Shapps calling it a “major milestone”.
“Shovels in the ground to deliver this new railway means thousands of jobs building the future of our country’s infrastructure,” he commented.
“This fantastic moment is what leaders across the North and Midlands have called for – action to level up our country by boosting capacity on our railways, improving connections between our regions, and spreading prosperity.”
News
Plans to build tower next to Manchester’s historic Britons Protection pub scrapped
Danny Jones
Punters, rejoice: plans to build a large apartment tower next to Manchester’s Britons Protection pub have reportedly been scrapped after a long, drawn-out process and widespread protests.
What a relief.
One of the city’s oldest boozers, the Britons Protection was due to be dwarfed by a large development reaching 26 storeys tall, which not only would have encroached on the cultural landmark and storied watering hole, but also blocked out its popular beer garden to the rear.
We’ve seen a similar loss of outdoor drinking space with the recent St Michael’s development, which has essentially removed the equally historic Sir Ralph Abercromby pub – though it is at least getting a refurb – but in truth, the ‘Protect the Protection’ fight has been going on much longer.
As per a notice published on Manchester City Council’s website this week, it now appears that the plans for 72 new flats have been cancelled, with developers Arrowsmith Management having officially withdrawn their application.
Run by Bahraini businessman Mohamed Abbas Haji, the company is now said to be reassessing its options for the ‘Apex Tower’ proposals.
Speaking to the BBC, Mark Brennan – who took over the pub back in January 2025 – said: “I’m quite happy to be honest, a lot of people say the pub might be busier with more people about, but that doesn’t necessarily translate to people coming in here.”
“It would have looked horrendous… It’s Grade II-listed, so the pub should always be here. It wouldn’t have been a good look, having a big ugly building on top of our building.”
Countless Mancunians have echoed the sentiment over the past few years, with appeals dating back to post-pandemic and a big awareness push in 2021.
Standing for more than two centuries and holding countless awards, it was never going to go quietly.
It also happens to be quite comfortably on our list of the cosiest pubs in Manchester and has been since day dot.
Anyone who’s been in will know the sense of a warm welcome the place always puts out, and we’re overjoyed to hear that years of petitions and campaigning to save it have paid off.
These stories don’t always end with the right outcome (not often enough, anyway), so we’ll definitely be raising a glass to the Britons Protected this weekend.
Unfortunately, we do still have some other sad news from the hospitality sector, as our oldest Manc publican has passed away at a fellow favourite pub.
Featured Images — CGI (via Arrowsmith Management)/Gerald England (via Geograph)
News
Avanti staff at Manchester Piccadilly to strike tomorrow over ‘unfair dismissal’ of colleague
Emily Sergeant
Avanti West Coast staff based at Manchester Piccadilly are set to stage strike action tomorrow.
Due to what has been described as the ‘unfair dismissal’ of a colleague, rail union RMT has announced that Avanti West Coast members at Manchester Piccadilly station are set to walk out tomorrow (Saturday 1 August) – with several other strikes also planned later in the year.
Despite taking industrial action against sacking – which was based on anonymous allegations – RMT says the company has decided to ‘ignore’ the workforce and uphold the sacking at an appeal hearing.
As well as the 24-hour strike tomorrow, two other strikes have also been announced for future dates – 29 August, and 10 October.
Avanti staff at Manchester Piccadilly are striking over the ‘unfair dismissal’ of a colleague / Credit: Network Rail
RMT general secretary Eddie Dempsey said that the sacking was ‘extremely disappointing’.
He claimed the worker had ‘clearly’ been the victim of a toxic workplace culture which encouraged anonymous and unsubstantiated complaints.
“This member has been made a scapegoat for multiple management failings, including the company’s inability to manage its employees to an acceptable standard within the workplace,” commented RMT general secretary, Eddie Dempsey.
“This union is sending the clearest possible message to Avanti West Coast that there will be no let-up until this unfair dismissal is overturned and the issues at the heart of this dispute are resolved.”
The Manc -
4th September 2020 
