HS2 is on track to ruin Madeley farm
FARMERS may lose part of their land if plans for a new high speed rail link get the go ahead.
Charles Williams, aged 57, and wife Tina, aged 56, live in and run Bar Hill Farm in Madeley but could lose around five to ten acres of farmland to the HS2 project.
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ON THE WRONG TRACK: Charles Williams' farm in Madeley will lose land to the HS2 railway. Picture: Mark Scott
The farm has been in Tina's family for 60 years.
Mr Williams was unaware of how the plans would affect his family business until he saw the proposed route on Monday.
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He received a letter from the Government informing him of the plans yesterday.
He said: "I didn't believe it when I heard the news. I thought it must be April Fools Day.
"It really took a while to sink in. We're only a small farm, so to lose around five acres would make a big impact on our business."
Mr Williams said he does not object to the project, more the way the Government went about informing him.
He said: "I've got nothing against a high speed rail line, but I hadn't really been told anything about it.
"I get the impression that those people who the line affects might get some compensation.
"But if you know the route goes through your property, it essentially makes your home worthless on the market." Mr Williams and his wife Tina, aged 56, run 'Baa Hill Farm Shop' at the farm selling home reared produce from the local area.
The couple set the shop up to save their livelihood in the midst of the 2001 foot-and-mouth crisis.
Tina said: "The land provides us with grazing for our sheep and hay for our animals during the winter.
"The shop has gone from strength to strength and is our only real source of income so it could potentially be very damaging for us."
A meeting will be held at 3pm to 5pm on Saturday at the Madeley Centre for residents to find out more about the plans and what happens next.
Bill Welsh, chairman of Madeley Parish council, said: "We have had a lot of calls and confusion from concerned residents wanting to find out more about the plans. There will be maps and information about what kind of compensation will be available to residents who may be affected.
"It will also be a chance for the residents to speak about what happens next and their options going forward."
6 Comments
by HAGGI5
Monday, February 11 2013, 7:43PM
“It will be many years before any work is carried out on the HS2 in North Staffordshire. Birmingham is priority numero uno and when the 30+ Billion budget (and it will rise!!!) is spent up getting the track to somewhere near Milton Keynes, ideas of continuing beyond Birmingham will soon evaporate, oh, sometime in 2024.
The reality is that this is an immense project and the bureaucracy of getting something like HS2 off the ground will set it back years and inflate the budge exponentially.
Yours
Voice of Reality”
by Notanumber
Friday, February 01 2013, 1:21PM
“Their farm is only small and losing those 'few' acres would have a serious impact beside which.... During the digging, I would guess that the fields between the WCML and on either side of the cutting will be unusable certainly to livestock due to heavy earth moving equipment.
This farm is this families livelyhood and has been for a long time. If you read elsewhere on this site, compensation isn't likely to be paid out until 2033 or thereabouts. So I would suggest that the Williams have a right to raise their concerns.”
by jimlee202
Thursday, January 31 2013, 5:54PM
“So what if he loses a few acres. Many more people will lose much more land, but they will all be more than adequately compensated. Just get on with it. and think of the greater good for the country as a whole.”
by britpark
Thursday, January 31 2013, 3:00PM
“Seems The Sentinel do read these comments. Headline spelling has been corrected.”
by britpark
Thursday, January 31 2013, 1:08PM
“It's between Keale and Crowe and close to Nontwich.”
by Snaggletoooth
Thursday, January 31 2013, 12:15PM
“Where on earth is "Madalay"?”