Shimmer Estate will be demolished to make way for the HS2 railway

Following HS2’s announcement last week of the finalised route for Phase 2b, residents of the Shimmer housing estate in Mexborough were disappointed to hear that the route will indeed cut through the estate.

Ministers have officially confirmed the line will go through to Sheffield City Centre after scrapping a proposed station at Meadowhall. The outcome seemingly goes against public wishes, where a route consultation in 2016 ended with 4,157 respondents against and only 271 in support of the eastern route that cuts through the estate.

Although the Department of Transport advise that only 16 properties on the Shimmer Estate will be demolished to make way for the HS2 railway, the newly confirmed plans indicate that a much greater number of houses are likely to be affected.

HS2 claims that the new route will affect fewer homes overall, save more than £1bn and enable people to travel to London from Sheffield in 79 minutes instead of 120 minutes as under previous plans.

The inclusion of the estate within safeguarded area has been the focus of much media attention recently due to the huge disruption and inconvenience that it has caused to residents. Many have only recently purchased their new-build houses and did not expect to be moving again so quickly.

One of the affected local residents, Amy Pope, recently appeared on Adrian Chiles’s Radio 5 Live show, addressing the topic of the Shimmer Estate.  Amy commented that Roger Hannah and Co are representing her and praised our efforts in acting on her behalf, declaring “they are marvellous, really really supportive, they have valued our property and are going to negotiate with the company that has valued it on behalf of HS2”.

Roger Hannah & Co currently act for over 40 clients affected by the plans on the Shimmer Estate as well as other land and property owners affected in Phases 1 and 2.  It’s crucial to seek professional advice regarding compensation if you are concerned that the recently confirmed plans may have an impact on you.  If you have any questions or would like any information, please contact our dedicated HS2 team here at Roger Hannah

Listen to our Radio 5 Live report: