HS2: Stories Behind The Line: 'We're having a nightmare' - The families at the mercy of route change

Aston (Credit: Ben Houghton)

Residents of the suburban Sheffield communities who live along the M1 await the arrival of a new neighbour.

Yorkshire has long been the centre of major transport infrastructure, from the first ever motorway, the M1, to trans-pennine rail. However the UK's largest county has proved a big sticking point for HS2.

The east section of Phase 2B, which sees the route travel through Derbyshire and end at Leeds was originally planned to stop at a purpose built station between Rotherham and Sheffield. This station would be situated at Meadowhall, a shopping centre on the outskirts of the steel city. The line then went onwards, through the surrounding areas of Barnsley and eventually to Leeds.

Meadowhall Shopping Centre (Credit: Andrea Houghton)

In 2016, after Sheffield City Council campaigned against the original plan, this route was changed. The confirmed new route will now go further east towards Doncaster with the planned station at South Yorkshire's shopping centre being scrapped. Instead, only a number of trains will stop at Sheffield Station itself, diverging away from the high speed line using existing, conventional rail tracks before rejoining again further north. Even though the updated plans take the tracks away from highly populated Yorkshire towns, rural communities are now set to be the hardest hit.

Swipe to see the difference between initial route and the new route.

Aston is a small village situated to the east of Sheffield. This community is no stranger to large scale infrastructure, as it sits alongside the M1. Like any English village, Aston has everything you’d expect from a sub-urban community. A local pub perfect for an evening drink, traditional housing blanketed with ivy, and a small church.

You would hardly notice the community as you drive through, passing in under a minute, but when on foot, you’re able to take in the beauty. Despite the neighbouring motorway, the village is surrounded by greenery, acting as a welcome escape from the city over the seven hills.

Aston (Credit: Ben Houghton)

However HS2 now leaves the village with a new challenge, and none more so than resident Louise Nicholson. Louise lives with her husband and daughter just outside the village. They were first notified of the fact that their house sat along the route in July 2017 when HS2 Limited sent them a letter. Louise said: "it wasn't personally addressed to us, the last sentence said we know you will be distressed".

In 2012 Louise and her family worked on the renovation of their home before they found out that it would have to be knocked down. She explained: "it was devastating because we'd spent thousands". As their home is a listed building, Louise and her family had to adhere to regulations. Despite this, HS2 Ltd are able go ahead without following these rules. Louise said: "we couldn't cut a tree down without asking them, and they can knock it down with a train.

"They can do what they want, amazingly,” she said. The family decided to voice their concerns when their daughter Lily, who at the time was nine years old, wrote a letter to the government, asking for the situation to be reversed. The news of the letter was picked up by the radio station LBC who asked the then Transport Secretary, Chris Grayling about the families situation. This led to a meeting being held in Parliament between the family and Mr Grayling. Louise said: "we had a meeting with Chris Grayling who said it would definitely come but it wouldn't affect us for about fifteen years”.

Lily Nicholson reads her letter to Chris Grayling on LBC (Credit: LBC)

The prospect of Louise moving home soon is low, but for a family who live in a village a few miles south of Aston, the situation is more immediate. Nick Waller and his family live in Wales, another village on the outskirts of Sheffield. Nick found out that his house lies along the route after watching the news when the announcement came.

The original route proposal meant that the village of Wales would escape any impact due to the route travelling closer to Sheffield city centre. The new route however travels straight through the village.

Nick spent thousands on a new extension to his home in 2015, to find out in the coming years that the building would have to be knocked down. Nick said: "I spent nearly one hundred grand on an extension.”

"We're having a nightmare at the moment". Nick Waller

Since then, Nick and his family have been in conflict with HS2 Ltd in regard to the valuation of their home. The company contracted to build the high speed rail line, buy the homes which lie in the trains path in order to construct. HS2 Ltd first valued Nick's property at £270,000, but this was considerably less than the independent valuation Nick had organised. Unhappy with the difference in prices, he asked for an explanation. Nick said: "we asked them to prove why and they gave us a few examples.

"We said no that's not right so that upped it to £300,000," he said. Mr Waller then organised another independent evaluation. He said: "for arguments case I went and got an independent one and payed £650 plus VAT and they valued it at £335,000". After hearing this, HS2 Ltd raised their offer to £325,000 which Nick has now accepted. However, the current coronavirus pandemic has caused an added problem for the family.

Wales - Sheffield (Credit: Ben Houghton)

Mr Waller said: "We're having a nightmare at the moment, we've accepted the offer but the nightmare now is getting things through with everything that's going on". Despite not being given a specific time to move by, the family has been told that HS2 Ltd need their land to use. "I know that they really need ours for the yard,” Nick said. The uncertainty around the coronavirus pandemic has left Nick and his family in a difficult position, between the restriction to move house and the continued construction of the project which is set to destroy his home.

Both Nick and Louise's cases show the stark difference in circumstances even for two homeowners living within five miles of one another. For some, the need to move is imminent, however for others the wait can be decades long but in the end, inevitable.