HS2: 'This will be total devastation of our pretty rural village'

Liz Pohl, of Cliffords Wood, Swynnerton, said: "I have lived here all my life and it is just devastating to think that things will change. One of the things about Swynnerton is that it never changes. The HS2 route has come as such a shock, there's been no warning – no-one knew anything about it. It will mean the complete devastation of our very pretty, rural part of Swynnerton. When I first moved into my house I remember the estate agent joking with me about upgrading in a few years, but I said I will never want to leave the village. The views we get over the countryside are just wonderful. From where I live, every day I take my dogs for a walk, and no matter how down I feel, I think how lucky I am to live in such a beautiful part of the world."

Peter Varney, aged 80, of Swynnerton, said: "I've lived here for more than 40 years. I very much consider this to be the rape of Swynnerton, for the second time. There was a munitions factory built during the war, which is now regarded as having devastated the countryside and that is what's happening again with this railway line. We are suffering because of these plans."