The Community and Environment Fund (CEF) has been created to add benefit to communities along the route that are demonstrably disrupted by the construction of Phase One of HS2 from London to West Midlands and Phase 2a from the West Midlands to Crewe.

There are two types of CEF funding:

CEF Local will focus on quality of life and the environment in individual communities.

CEF Strategic will focus on large projects across several communities and address strategic rather than purely local concerns. Wherever possible, the CEF fund aims to leave a sustainable legacy.

Note: They want to assure potential applicants that we undertake rigorous management and regular reviews of the funding available to ensure that funds are available throughout the construction periods for each Phase, and there will be no advantages of submitting applications early or disadvantages of submitting applications later during the construction period.

For more information and the application form visit the HS2 Community and Business Fund website

The following information has been provided by MP Kieran Mullen to support applicants to the fund. 

"I read through the impact documents myself and developed a statement that pulls together acknowledged impacts across a few categories into a simpler paragraph as follows:"

When combined with HS2 Phase One (which will add an additional 4.8% of daily passengers), there will be a combined total increase of daily rail passengers of 6.9%. As a result of the increased patronage of the Proposed Scheme and HS2 Phase One combined there will be an increase in traffic at the following locations: * A534 Crewe Road/A532 Weston Road roundabout junction; * A534 Nantwich Road/Mill Street signal junction; and * A534 Nantwich Road/Gresty Road signal junction (14.5.8). Furthermore the most intensive peak periods of construction for the Proposed Scheme will cause increases in traffic that will from time to time cause significant adverse effects through additional congestion and/or increased delays for road users at: the A500 Shavington Bypass/B5472 Weston Road/A531 Newcastle Road roundabout (major adverse); the A500 Shavington Bypass/A5020 David Whitby Way roundabout (major Environmental Statement Volume 2: Community area 5, South Cheshire 276 adverse); and the A500 Shavington Bypass/B5071 Jack Mills Way roundabout (major adverse). (14.4.29). There will also be two depot sites located at the heart of Crewe (Alexandra stadium site and the Moto Rail terminal). Both are identified as likely to result in excess HGV traffic at the heart of a congested part of Crewe (Table 34)

"Whilst it might sound technical it basically pulls out all the examples of traffic and congestion that they acknowledge which will affect residents in the Crewe urban area and Shavington.

Formally, standard text is not encouraged. But HS2 have reviewed this statement and there is acceptance of its accuracy and so I would now encourage groups to make use of the funds across your activities if you serve people in Crewe & Shavington and make use of this statement if it helps you. I am also happy to arrange one on one discussions with anyone intending to make a bid to go through this.

In the relevant section you could use the statement and then go on to say that due to these impacts and effects, the people in your local area, who will benefit from their project, will be disrupted by the construction of HS2 in this way.

Remember, a project could be physically located away from an area of disruption but provides services to a community that may experience disruption".