Today the government has confirmed the route for the second phase of the high-speed rail line, from Crewe to Manchester and the West Midlands to Leeds.
However, the plan does not include a final decision over where to site a new station in or near Sheffield. The government's preferred option is for the main HS2 route to run east of Sheffield but for a spur to take passengers to Sheffield city centre. Another spur will take HS2 to a new station at Manchester Airport.
A final decision will not be made until next year.
NFU senior land management adviser Louise Staples said:
“The NFU will support its members through the process and fight for the best deal over levels of compensation. We will fight to make sure that land is only taken for the construction of the railway line itself from our members and land taken for mitigation is on a like for like basis with the aim of no net loss in biodiversity.”
