A campaign by Stoke-on-Trent City Council to ensure that the HS2 high-speed rail line comes through their city has been presented to Westminster.

The campaigners appeared before the House of Commons High Speed Rail Select Committee and made the case that Stoke would make “the best gateway to the north”.

They argued that their city has “massive development potential” and is “ideally located to act as the heart of a new super-region, joining the Midlands and the North, helping to re-balance the national economy.”

Furthermore, they said “the Stoke route will be at least £2 billion cheaper for the tax-payer” and could deliver a high-speed connection to the North by 2026 — seven years earlier than is currently planned.

Stoke-on-Trent City Council leader Mohammed Pervez said: “The case for the Stoke route is compelling, and we are being taken very seriously. Senior figures on all sides recognise that our plans are a perfect fit for the new dynamic that is driving the high-speed-rail agenda — the need to connect up the nation’s cities to maximise its economic growth potential.”

The City Council has played host in recent months to a number of Government ministers, Shadow Cabinet ministers and top officials from HS2 and Network Rail, who have come to Stoke to learn more about the city’s plans.