A CHESHIRE West councillor has called for part of the planned HS2 rail network to be scrapped, saying the money should instead be used to help plug gaps in the nation's finances.

Cllr Mark Stocks, Conservative councillor for Shakerley, says part of the government’s flagship high-speed railway network connecting Crewe and Manchester - known as HS2B - should be axed in order to focus on things such as tackling the cost of living and energy crises.

The proposed route passes through west Cheshire in the areas of Wimboldsley, to the east of Winsford, Rudheath, and Lostock Gralam. A depot will be constructed close to Wimboldsley to accommodate up to 54 high speed trains.

Chancellor Jeremy Hunt is expected to announce tax rises and swingeing cuts in his autumn statement on November 17 to try and fill a £50bn black hole in the public finances.

Cllr Stocks – who has hit out at HS2 before – said: “The reality is the project is  a huge financial black hole that should be stopped now and allow the resources currently being deployed to be focused on addressing the cost of living crisis.

“The project costs  at this stage are only indicative estimates and with the current inflation and interest rate rises these are only going to escalate out of all proportion. The cancellation would allow for a reduction of government debt that is important at this current time.”

He said scrapping the link would also allow for the prospect of ‘significant improvement’ in national strategic gas supplies with the potential expansion  of local storage facilities.

Reacting to Cllr Stock’s comments, a spokesman for the Department for Transport added it was ‘committed to delivering’ its Integrated Rail Plan and that there were ‘a number of options’ for how it would deliver high speed services, which the Transport Secretary was currently looking at.

He added: “These vital projects will better connect communities and unlock potential across the North, with work already underway on HS2 which is supporting 29,000 jobs.”

Mark Thurston, CEO at HS2 Ltd - which is in charge of delivering the scheme - said: “HS2 is delivering growth for the UK economy today. Our contract awards are helping small businesses across the UK to grow and sustain their workforces, and nearly 30,000 people are benefiting from skilled jobs with a long-term future.

“By supporting apprentices and the unemployed into meaningful careers on HS2 we’re creating the next generation of engineers and construction workers, a trend that will continue as our construction programme gathers momentum going North.”

In an exclusive interview with the Guardian in August while he was running for Conservative Party leader, now Prime Minister Rishi Sunak was tight-lipped about his commitment to HS2, saying only: "I want to make sure that the project is delivered efficiently, because these big projects have a habit of taking too long and going over budget and I want to make sure that doesn't happen.

"And so I'll be quite tight on the costs to make sure that we control that on everyone's behalf."