The NFU has called for farming families to be treated better in the development of any rail infrastructure projects following the government’s unveiling of its Northern Powerhouse Rail project, set to affect Leeds, York, Bradford and Sheffield initially, with plans for a new north-south line from Birmingham to Manchester in the future.
NFU Vice-president Rachel Hallos said that farmers along the Birmingham to Manchester route had already endured “years of disruption because of HS2 flipflopping, delays and insufficient communication, uprooting both their businesses and everyday lives”, after the previous government scrapped the northern stretch of HS2 in 2023.
“Farming families along these routes will have lots of questions and plenty of concerns about how the projects will be delivered.”
NFU Vice-president Rachel Hallos
“Now they will be held in limbo for at least another decade, possibly even two, before work on the new line even starts,” she said.
‘Scars from HS2’
The Department for Transport’s plans include a new rail route between Liverpool and Manchester, running via Manchester Airport and Warrington and improved connections across the Pennines between Manchester, Leeds, Bradford and Sheffield.
The first phase of the project will focus on upgrading rail connections across Yorkshire and progressing Leamside Line proposals to ensure services reach Newcastle.
“Farming families along these routes will have lots of questions and plenty of concerns about how the projects will be delivered,” said NFU Vice-president Rachel Hallos.
“These are not developments that take a few months, they are years in the making. This means another generation of families will be hit, many of whose homes, land and livelihoods already bear the scars from HS2. Lessons need to be learned from that experience – farming families need to be treated better.
“The NFU will seek to engage with the delivery companies and urge them to work with farming families on these projects. It’s vital farm businesses are able to be productive and profitable throughout this process and remain focused on what they do best – producing food and caring for the great British countryside.”
The government said that ‘learning lessons from HS2’, it will work closely with local partners to ensure planning processes are carried out efficiently, and approvals are streamlined to reduce delays and prevent projects from going over budget.
