The Government has set out its preferred route for the northern phase of HS2, which will run from Crewe to Manchester and the West Midlands into Leeds. There does, however, remain hesitancy in how to deal with Sheffield.
The original intention was to build a new out-of-town station at Sheffield Meadowhall Shopping Centre but Sheffield City Council, amongst others, have pressed for a station within the City Centre itself. However, the provisional route, whilst potentially saving up to £1bn, would cut through a new housing estate in Mexborough, near Doncaster. This could affect hundreds of new homes.
Today’s announcement will see further consultation being undertaken in respect to seven significant alternations, including the proposals for the Sheffield region, as follows:
On the western leg:
- to move the previously proposed rolling stock depot at Golborne to a site north of Crewe
- to move the approach to Manchester Piccadilly up to 370 metres eastwards with the northern tunnel portal in Ardwick, to avoid direct impacts on residential properties and a school at West Gorton
- to move the route in the Middlewich – Northwich area in Cheshire up to 800 metres westwards
On the eastern leg:
- to move the route to the east of Measham in Leicestershire, avoiding the most significant impacts on local manufacturing businesses and development sites
- to go around instead of tunnelling under East Midlands Airport
- to amend the alignment of the preferred route as it passes through Long Eaton to reduce severance in the local community and reduce impacts on the highway network and existing rail infrastructure
- to move the alignment of the route from Derbyshire to West Yorkshire to reflect a change in the proposals for serving the Sheffield city region, as recommended by Sir David Higgins in his report Sheffield and South Yorkshire published in July 2016
Angela Connor, Associate Director at Roger Hannah & Co., comments, “Today’s announcement will provide more clarity for a number of property owners affected by HS2. The indecision about proposals in the Sheffield region, however, will be unsettling, particularly for residents who have recently purchased properties on the Shimmer Estate in Mexborough.”.
It is important for those affected to seek expert advice with regard to compulsory purchases and/or compensation. If you have any questions or would like any information, please contact our HS2 team here at Roger Hannah & Co.