A couple are heartbroken after selling their family home to HS2, only for the project to be cancelled north of Birmingham just a few months later. Mary Daniel and her husband Andrew sold their Cheshire home in the quiet village of Ashley in May, following years of uncertainty.
The couple had built the house themselves 20 years ago on land that has been in Andrew's family for generations, previously operating as a working farm under the stewardship of Andrew's father and grandfather.
The proposed HS2 line between Crewe and Manchester was set to cut through the eastern side of Ashley, near Hale Barns. The couple, both in their 60s, insist they would never have considered leaving the home where they raised their children if it weren't for the looming threat of HS2, according to the Manchester Evening News.
The proposed route was set to pass just a few hundred yards away from their property. Although their house was not among those marked for compulsory purchase, Mary and Andrew felt compelled to accept an offer for their Castle Mill Lane home in April due to the prospect of living amidst a massive construction site for four years.
They estimate that they received approximately 30 per cent less than the market value of their property. The sale was finalised in May this year, and since then, they have been renting it back while their new home, which is being built on land 12 miles away, is completed.
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Despite Chancellor Rishi Sunak's announcement on Wednesday that he was 'ending the saga' by cancelling the remainder of the controversial project, Mary says the decision has come too late for them. She added: "It was steaming ahead then it all went very quiet. So when they finally paid us out in May this year, it was a blessed relief."
"But now we know what we know, we wish we had never sold, because we never have looked to live anywhere else. It's where we brought our kids up."
"It's a bittersweet thing really. Where we're going is very, very nice. But it's something we never anticipated doing. Ever. As you can imagine, my husband is very upset about it. Heartbroken really. It's going to be really hard to leave. My husband thought he would be leaving here in a box."
The family, who also run a plant machinery, building supplies and reclamation firm based half a mile from the house, had a vested interest in the HS2 project. A proposed bridge in Ashley would have resulted in the main road to their site being closed for two years, with all traffic diverted down a narrow road past their yard. They claim this would have severely impacted their business operations and spent between £30,000 to £40,000 on legal fees exploring ways to contest it.
Mary expressed her relief at the cancellation of the project, stating: "It's a massive relief for the business that it's not coming, because quite frankly they have been bloody awful about it all," She recalled an interaction with a lawyer who told them: "At one point a lawyer said 'Mr Daniel, 'we don't have to do anything for you. We can come along and build our train track and we don't have to do anything for you.' Which is great isn't it?"
She added: "We are glad it's been stopped now. Not just for business but for Ashley as a whole. It would have ruined this village forever. But it's just a bit too late for us here. It's cost us so much money. Money which was supposed to be our pot for retirement. It's also cost us in time, stress, you name it. And now, I feel a bit cheated really."
Reflecting on the recent announcement, one resident said: "Watching the speech, I didn't know whether to carry a bucket round to catch my tears or run around in joy." When asked about the future of her property after they leave, she responded: "I don't know. But it doesn't matter now really. If you look back and dwell on it, it eats you up."
Several properties in the vicinity have already been sold to HS2, some as far back as seven years ago, with some currently unoccupied. A tenant of one such property, who chose to remain anonymous, shared: "I have lived in this area, Rostherne, and Ashley, for 50 years."
"I thought it was a no-go from the start. The amount of money that was being spent on it when there was no real benefit for us. None whatsoever. How does knocking a few minutes off a journey to London help us?"
"So I was 90 percent pleased when they cancelled it. It was going to devastate the Cheshire countryside. But by purchasing land and farms etc, it's already ruined a lot of people's lives. And it's all been done for nothing. It's very unfortunate and upsetting."
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The Department for Transport announced this week that 'safeguarding' on the cancelled Birmingham to Crewe section of the line, known as Phase 2a, will be lifted 'within weeks'. Furthermore, safeguarding on the Crewe to Manchester section (Phase 2b) will be amended 'by summer next year' to accommodate any necessary safeguarding for the Northern Powerhouse Rail project.
The department stated that 'any property that is no longer needed by HS2 will be sold and a programme is being developed to do this'. A short five-minute drive away, in the quaint village of Ringway, Greater Manchester, resident Michelle Gracie, 55, recalls her initial vision of the village as an 'idyllic' place to raise her two daughters and two sons when she first purchased her home.
"When we purchased the property there was no talk of a new train line or motorway changes," she expressed. "HS2 reared its ugly head and although I understand the need for change and progression, I do feel the upset and stress caused to me personally has been unfair and damaging."
"As my children grew and left the nest for work, university etc I was left in a five-bedroom property wanting to downsize but unable to as a result of HS2."
"I tried to sell the property three times but each time there was interest, searches revealed the HS2 plans and that promptly halted the process." Ms Gracie shared that she applied through the project's 'need to sell' scheme but was rejected.
"I didn't know what to do, I needed to move to a smaller house for financial reasons but was unable to sell", she confessed. "This resulted in a very stressful and emotional time for me. On top of the train line issue, there were also the plans for the new motorway roundabout to help accommodate the construction vehicles and access from one end of the lane being closed."
"I eventually decided to rent the house but before I did I thought I would try one last time to sell at a very reduced price. People viewing were told all about the proposed plans and fortunately this time a family fell in love with it."
"Although the price was affected substantially, by this point I was beyond caring and just needed to move on with my life."
"It's not that I was against the concept of HS2 and all that came along with it, but what I did object to is how my life and many others' lives were affected in such a detrimental way, and yet we seemed rather unimportant to this huge monster that was HS2."
Ms Gracie said she felt 'numb' watching Mr Sunak's speech and somewhat surprised given repeated assurances from HS2 bosses that it would 'categorically go ahead.'
"My approach has been what will be will be," she said. "I only exchanged on my house on Thursday, but at this point, I do feel able to move forward into a new phase of my life without the shadow of HS2 hanging over my head."
A number of properties were also purchased on and around Hasty Lane and Hale Road in Hale Barns. One resident there, who was resisting efforts by HS2 to acquire some of her garden to construct a service road, said: "I am happy. I never thought it was going to happen to be honest. I just couldn't see it. I thought they should have concentrated on sorting the existing infrastructure, which is what they say they are now going to do."
"I only ever wanted to move when I wanted to, not when HS2 told me to. So I'm very, very happy it's been cancelled and I'm sure a lot of people around here feel the same."
* An AI tool was used to add an extra layer to the editing process for this story. You can report any errors to webhomepage@mirror.co.uk
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