The cancellation of the northern leg of HS2 has left many individuals and communities grappling with profound disruption and uncertainty, particularly those who were compelled to sell land and properties at prices they now find unfair. Among them is Edward Cavenagh-Mainwaring, a Staffordshire dairy farmer whose family had tended 250 acres for over 900 years. In October 2023, just days before the government scrapped the Birmingham-to-Manchester route, the Department for Transport (DfT) issued a compulsory purchase order (CPO) forcing the sale of this land. Despite receiving most of the DfT’s offer, below the market value at the time, Mr Cavenagh-Mainwaring fears he will never be able to afford to repurchase his family legacy. He estimates current prices would demand £15,000 an acre, significantly higher than the £11,000 an acre offered less than a year ago. “Having gone through the difficult process of what effectively felt like a bereavement… I worry I won’t be able to buy it,” he said.

The scale of the government’s expenditure on land now redundant is vast. In total, the DfT spent £592 million acquiring 6.5 square miles of land and more than 1,000 properties along the axed Phase 2a and 2b routes. Despite the scrapping of the northern lines nearly two years ago, the sale of surplus land and properties has yet to begin, with previous owners only being granted the first opportunity to buy back at current market rates rather than the original prices. This has caused frustration and distress in affected communities, where many families have been uprooted. In villages such as Whitmore Heath and Madeley in Staffordshire, homes bought by the government now remain empty or rented out, with HS2 reportedly earning close to £9 million annually from letting these properties. Some residents describe their communities as “torn apart” by the project’s upheavals and subsequent abandonment.

Political leaders have acknowledged the difficult situation. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak hinted at plans to allow homeowners to repurchase their properties after the northern leg cancellation, recognising the disruption caused. However, Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander described the HS2 scheme as “an appalling mess,” disclosing that the initial Phase 1 segment from London to Birmingham will not open by the 2033 target. The National Audit Office has further detailed the financial fallout, noting the government had already incurred at least £130 million in costs related to remediation and maintenance of the acquired lands. Despite the cancellation, the government continued to purchase properties on Phase 2 routes, including some acquisitions completed after the northern leg was axed, revealing ongoing financial commitments amid strategic uncertainty.

The government has committed to releasing detailed plans later in the summer setting out the approach to disposing of now redundant land and properties. Officials emphasise the process will adhere to established guidelines such as the Crichel Down Rules, ensuring market valuations and structured sales to protect taxpayers’ interests and local property markets. However, the prospect of former owners facing considerably higher prices to regain what they once owned remains a source of distress and controversy. The substantial gap between the original compulsory purchase compensation and current values underscores the lasting human and financial cost of the HS2 project’s sudden reversal, raising broader questions about the management and oversight of infrastructure planning in the UK.

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Source: Noah Wire Services