News: Safeguarding lifted on HS2 route through Rotherham
Land in Rotherham outlined for high speed rail is no longer under safeguarding directions, the Secretary of State for Transport has confirmed.
Former owners who sold to the government will be given the opportunity to buy property back, but at the current value.
The announcement comes four and a half years after the scheme to Leeds was scrapped and nine years after property owners first learnt of the plans.
The government announced in 2021 that the HS2 Phase 2b Eastern leg would terminate at East Midlands Parkway and no longer reach Leeds through the communities in the east of Rotherham. A study into how best to take HS2 services to Leeds was announced but never really got underway.
Safeguarding for Phase 2b (Crewe to Manchester and West Midlands to Leeds) was set to be ammended in summer 2024 to allow for any safeguarding needed for Northern Powerhouse Rail.
Safeguarding is designed to protect land which the government may need to build and operate HS2 from conflicting development that might otherwise take place. Issuing safeguarding directions also triggers statutory blight - starting the process of the government acquiring property in the safeguarded areas.
A latest report to Parliament confirmed that the safeguarding directions for the former HS2 route through Rotherham have finally been lifted.
Heidi Alexander MP, Secretary of State for Transport, said: "I am today formally lifting the safeguarding directions for the former Phase 2b Eastern Leg (between the West Midlands and Leeds), removing the uncertainty that has affected many people along the former route. Safeguarding along the former Phase 2b Western Leg (between Crewe and Manchester) is not being changed as part of this, and an update on future plans for safeguarding on this section will be provided in due course alongside broader plans for Northern Powerhouse Rail.
"One small area to the south of the existing station in central Leeds, previously required for the new HS2 station, will remain safeguarded to allow for potential enhancements to the existing station, including for onward travel.
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"I have also today closed the Rural Support Zone, Express Purchase, Rent Back, and the Need to Sell property schemes along the former Phase 2b Eastern Leg. Existing applications will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis.
"Removing safeguarding along the majority of the former HS2 Phase 2b Eastern Leg means we are now able to initiate a programme to dispose of over 550 properties on the former Eastern Leg that are no longer required. We expect disposals on the open market to begin in 2026. Before then, former owners whose property was acquired under statutory blight will have the opportunity to reacquire their former property at the current market value.
"We will dispose of land and property in a sensible and sensitive way, ensuring value for money for the taxpayer and avoiding disruption to local property markets."
The scrapped route through Rotherham was announced in 2016 and affected areas such as Wales, Aston, Ulley, Brampton-en-le–Morthen, Thurcroft, Bramley, Ravenfield and Hooton Roberts.
With no station at Meadowhall and just a spur into Sheffield, residents and local politicians believed that the change in route offered "all of the problems but none of the benefits" and had to deal with blight notices and programmes to sell property to the government before compulsory purchase.
HS2 Ltd website
Images: HS2
Former owners who sold to the government will be given the opportunity to buy property back, but at the current value.
The announcement comes four and a half years after the scheme to Leeds was scrapped and nine years after property owners first learnt of the plans.
The government announced in 2021 that the HS2 Phase 2b Eastern leg would terminate at East Midlands Parkway and no longer reach Leeds through the communities in the east of Rotherham. A study into how best to take HS2 services to Leeds was announced but never really got underway.
Safeguarding for Phase 2b (Crewe to Manchester and West Midlands to Leeds) was set to be ammended in summer 2024 to allow for any safeguarding needed for Northern Powerhouse Rail.
Safeguarding is designed to protect land which the government may need to build and operate HS2 from conflicting development that might otherwise take place. Issuing safeguarding directions also triggers statutory blight - starting the process of the government acquiring property in the safeguarded areas.
A latest report to Parliament confirmed that the safeguarding directions for the former HS2 route through Rotherham have finally been lifted.
Heidi Alexander MP, Secretary of State for Transport, said: "I am today formally lifting the safeguarding directions for the former Phase 2b Eastern Leg (between the West Midlands and Leeds), removing the uncertainty that has affected many people along the former route. Safeguarding along the former Phase 2b Western Leg (between Crewe and Manchester) is not being changed as part of this, and an update on future plans for safeguarding on this section will be provided in due course alongside broader plans for Northern Powerhouse Rail.
"One small area to the south of the existing station in central Leeds, previously required for the new HS2 station, will remain safeguarded to allow for potential enhancements to the existing station, including for onward travel.
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"I have also today closed the Rural Support Zone, Express Purchase, Rent Back, and the Need to Sell property schemes along the former Phase 2b Eastern Leg. Existing applications will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis.
"Removing safeguarding along the majority of the former HS2 Phase 2b Eastern Leg means we are now able to initiate a programme to dispose of over 550 properties on the former Eastern Leg that are no longer required. We expect disposals on the open market to begin in 2026. Before then, former owners whose property was acquired under statutory blight will have the opportunity to reacquire their former property at the current market value.
"We will dispose of land and property in a sensible and sensitive way, ensuring value for money for the taxpayer and avoiding disruption to local property markets."
The scrapped route through Rotherham was announced in 2016 and affected areas such as Wales, Aston, Ulley, Brampton-en-le–Morthen, Thurcroft, Bramley, Ravenfield and Hooton Roberts.
With no station at Meadowhall and just a spur into Sheffield, residents and local politicians believed that the change in route offered "all of the problems but none of the benefits" and had to deal with blight notices and programmes to sell property to the government before compulsory purchase.
HS2 Ltd website
Images: HS2
3 comments:
What does it mean in this article does it mean we having hs2 back on Eastern leg
No. The HS2 Eastern Leg to Leeds is dead. The government has finally realised that they won't be needing any of the land through Rotherham.
It means the homes that were bought up by HS2 and rented out (below market value) will eventually be sold. It'll be nice to have people living in homes they actually care about again rather than some of the residents who didn't give a monkeys.
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