SMALL businesses in Oxfordshire are unconvinced a high-speed rail line will bring economic benefit to their companies, says a business group.
The Thames Valley section of the Federation of Small Businesses asked its members what impact the HS2 project would have, as part of Government consultation on the proposal for a new line between London and the West Midlands.
The proposed route passes through the north east edge of Oxfordshire, and residents have launched a campaign of opposition.
Margaret Coles, who chairs the Oxfordshire branch of the FSB, said: “Given some 57 per cent of survey respondents in Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire felt HS2 would have no overall impact on their business — a high proportion of firms, given the projected spend on the project — FSB Thames Valley urges Government not only carries out a robust and transparent review of HS2 and its alternatives, but also asks that it consults with small businesses in the area further, before final decisions to approve and commence the project are made.”
The survey received 260 responses from small businesses in Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire.
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