Abandoned Village: Staffordshire Residents Left in Dire Situation After HS2 Train Line Cancellation

Jakarta – Dozens of houses in a village called Staffordshire have been empty and abandoned for years. The trigger was the cancellation of a train line construction project, even though the houses had already been purchased and released for the project.

Early Abandoned Village

Quoted from the BBC, Monday (22/1/2024), houses in the village of Staffordshire have been bought and released by the implementers of the HS2 or High Speed ​​2 fast train project.

The fast train route is planned from Birmingham to Manchester and will pass through Staffordshire and Cheshire. However, this section of the route has been canceled by the government, causing long-term damage to the village.

The issue was first raised at a meeting of Newcastle Borough Council last year.

One resident told councilors that their once dreamy and beautiful village had become an area with chained gates, scary houses and security guards.

One resident, Phil Robinson, said his mother had sold her house and it had not been habitable for 7 years. Meanwhile, residents who still live in the area say they feel disturbed by squatters and marijuana factories.

The government continues to declare the existence of squatters and factories in order to develop a clear program to sell land that is no longer needed.

So, how do residents respond to this eviction?

Fred Smith, who lives near Whitmore, said other residents who did not sell their properties for HS2 had felt “trapped” with their own homes because they could now not resell them because of the damage caused by the project.
Phil’s mother’s house was one of around 50 houses purchased by the government around Madeley to build the line.

“My mother used to live here and I used to come every day. My father also liked being here because the place was beautiful, but now it is no longer habitable,” said Phil.

Phil said he no longer wanted the house back and rejected any offer to sell it to him because the money was needed for his mother’s care.

Fred also remembers when HS2 security staff came to their remote village home to evict the area. This became a dispute between the village residents and the HS2 project implementers.

Fred remembers that several residents, including them, let their houses be bought and released, but in the end around 50 houses in Madeley and Whitmore were left to rot because the fast train line had been removed.

Three months after its cancellation, the multi-million pound property is still sitting idle. Fred said that around 10-13 houses on the cul-de-sac were still empty even though previously many were wanted. The remote property was occupied by squatters and then a large team arrived while the squatters remained there.

“It looks like they (the government) know what he is doing. There are quite a lot of them, there are even children,” said Fred.

The owners of these properties stated that there had been reports of increased anti-social behavior due to abandoned properties, this had been happening for a decade or 10 years since several of the houses had been purchased and one of them was turned into a cannabis factory.

“They have increased security but the property remains on the verge of doubt,” said Fred.

What will the UK government do next?

After British prime minister Rishi Sunak announced the removal of the northern high-speed rail line, it was met with a mix of anger and relief. Many feel that the actions so far have been a waste of time and money, while there are also those who feel that their village was needlessly destroyed for no reason.

The prime minister defended the controversial decision by stating that there would be investment in transport projects across the North of England.

“This is truly a tragedy. What can you do? The government has the power.”

Some residents stated that three properties worth 3 million pounds or the equivalent of IDR 57 billion had been turned into cannabis plantations, while another property worth 1.4 million pounds or the equivalent of IDR 26.6 billion had been taken over by squatters, which was unexpected. will ever happen if this property is left abandoned.

The HS2 project executive previously confirmed that it had taken legal action to forcibly evict squatters and ensure the properties it owned were not empty.

“The only exception is if the property meets rentable standards of no value to the taxpayer,” a spokesman said.

Previously the HS2 project implementer had stated that empty houses were a matter for the government and said that all the houses acquired for the HS2 project in Madeley and Whitmore Heath were sold voluntarily, that is, without the use of compulsory purchase rights.

“We allow properties to be acquired where it is financially beneficial for taxpayers. Where this is not the case, they are well maintained and remain safe. We are continuing to develop a clear program to sell land that is no longer needed for Phase 2 of HS2, ” read a statement from the Department of Transportation.

The statement added that councilors will ensure their approach delivers value for taxpayers and fully engages with those affected. This information states that the government will determine the details of its program to sell unused land in time.

All sales will comply with Treasury regulations regarding the use of public money, but as time goes on it remains unclear how long the process will take.

(dna/dna)

2024-01-23 02:00:59
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