The village ‘ripped apart’ by scrapped HS2 line – while taxpayers foot bill for empty homes
The locals claimed that the taxpayers received a seven -number invoice annually to protect the properties left empty by the general project and were disintegrated by scrapped plans for a HS2 line.
35 of the 50 houses in Whitmore Heath were purchased from residents who wanted to sell plans for a large tunnel plan under the Yamaç hamlet for a high -speed railway connection from London to Manchester on behalf of the government.
However, since generous mansions with large gardens were sold, delays and spiral costs aroused the Staffordshire section in October 2023 until AXED.
Graham Hutton, who lives two miles away and fought against the line from Handsacre in Staffordshire to Manchester, said, “He destroyed society,” he said.
“The village was a wealthy place where the winners of their money lived. However, HS2 plans made them want to leave them, and then their homes were rented or left empty.”
Residents say that a house was transformed into a cannabis factory, and 24/7 security teams, who are thought to be not suitable for rent, are rented to protect them.
The story in Whitmore Heath is an image of the situation throughout the first route that plans to connect Manchester to the Western leg, as well as London and Birmingham to Leeds.
In Staffordshire, including Birmingham, the line from London to Handsacre will now be built.
In total, HS2 spent £ 3.7 billion to buy 1.727 properties on behalf of the Ministry of Transport (DFT), including £ 633 million in 1,021 properties during the AXEED routes.
They were purchased under a series of plans, including a voluntary purchase and “need to sell ,, where the seller had to offer a compelling reason to move after not being sold in the open market. Some were purchased under compulsory purchasing orders (CPO).
However, approximately one quarter of the purchased properties – about 430 – empty and security teams are required to protect some.
Data obtained by Independent In 2023-2024, an equivalent of £ 37,000 per week, £ 1.9 million was spent for the protection of property.
481,000 £ was spent in Staffordshire.
District Assembly Member Paul Northcott, “what waste, absolute money loss,” he said. “We need a solution now that we can sell these properties to the people they buy back to the market – let’s bring together the community again.”
“Whitmore Heath was the jewelery of the region, but the community was torn apart, in and going, it was torn apart by people who rented short -term.
“The peasants are screamed, they feel like Limbo.”
Parish Assembly Member Ian Webb said the situation was “far from being ideal”. “I know a few houses left empty for a long time.”
It is not helpful to maintain measures to prevent uncertainty from being developed with a cheaper alternative proposed last year to contradict future plans.
Among those waiting is Edward Cavenagh-Mainwaring, who lost about 250 acres of the family farm in Staffordshire through a CPO for HS2.
However, like the others in the region, he is afraid that the amount offered now is below the market rate and if the opportunity comes, he will not be able to take the land back.
“A lot of people were mentally hurt,” he said. Independent.
Last month, land sales restriction was removed for the eastern leg between Birmingham and Leeds, which was canceled in November 2021.
DFT said an update should be made on the protection of the West Leg Line area along with proposals for railway roads north of England.
HS2 LTD Spokesperson: “HS2 Ltd has a responsibility for the safety and safety of all land and property acquired to build the railway.
“Currently, more than 1,700 properties, including those who are on the old phase 2 feet by the company, are managed by the company and in the benefit of local communities, project delivery and taxpayer is kept safe and well -maintained.”
Last month, Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander said that his department worked with HS2 LTD to “reset” the project after “bad management, defective reports and ineffective surveillance”.
He said that until 2033, HS2 services were not a “route özel that will meet the target date.
