Government still buying properties along HS2 route – despite scrapping scheme

4 comments

1. Watch when they conveniently offload that £1.4m worth of real estate to someone who happens to be a Tory donor for 1p in order for them to redevelop it under some bullshit “levelling up” scheme. Which never happens, of course.

2. >They were made under property purchase schemes set up to clear the path for HS2. Under the schemes, the state was legally obliged to follow through on purchases that were already being processed. Insiders said all three purchases had been “at an advanced stage” before Sunak cancelled the line.

   Nothing dramatic, just beurocratic momentum.

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   >The Observer understands that significant pressure is now being placed on officials to ensure at least some parcels of land along the line are sold off before the general election, in an apparent attempt to create a “political trap” for Labour and kill off the project. Labour has not yet revealed any solid plans for HS2 or an alternative.

   The sheer spite behind this decision is what really upsets me. It’s not been taken because they think it’ll be good for the nation or even a vote winner, they’re literally just poisoning the well for the incoming Government. And what can we do about it? We’re at their mercy until they choose to call an election, they can do pretty much whatever spiteful thing they want until as late as January.

3. Good. They should keep building it.

   God knows how two pieces of rail and a few trains costs so much.

4. Among Labour’s first acts when they get into power should be to restore the safeguarding of the HS2 routes as originally planned, and get the construction of the sections to Crewe and Euston underway as soon as possible. Doing anything beyond that will be pretty difficult though. Will likely be decades until high speed rail reaches Manchester. Leeds, who knows if it will happen in my lifetime. All because of Tory short-terminism.