Latest HS2 delay extends the agony, say villagers

Peter Deeley, from Lower Boddington, said air pollution left his car looking like it had been in the Sahara Desert

People living near the route of the HS2 rail project said the latest delay to the scheme "extends the agony" for them.

The Secretary of State for Transport, Heidi Alexander, told MPs on Wednesday that there was "no route" to meeting the 2033 deadline, although she did not suggest a new date.

She said there had been a "litany of failure" around the project.

Construction work has been taking place in villages in south Northamptonshire since 2019.

Evidence of construction work can be seen across miles of countryside, including here in Greatworth

The only remaining section of the HS2 project, between London and Birmingham, was originally due to be up and running by 2026, but the deadline got pushed back to 2031 and then to 2033.

The latest announcement means villagers on the route in south Northamptonshire now know they will be facing disruption from the work for at least another nine years.

Doug Brown from Thorpe Mandeville said road closures made commuting difficult

The village of Thorpe Mandeville has been living with disruption caused by work on an access road, a site compound and a viaduct for some time already.

Doug Brown from the Thorpe Mandeville Parish Council said there were more headaches to come with HS2 waiting permission to close a route into the village that is currently controlled by traffic lights.

He said: "It would make it a peaceful village, but for village commuting, it would make getting north damn near impossible."

Construction activities can be seen from several vantage points in Lower Boddington

As a former parish councillor in Lower Boddington, Peter Deeley has had dealings with HS2 since the idea first surfaced.

He said: "We've had nothing else but problems in regards to noise pollution, we've had inability to get access, we have the situation of air pollution - I cleaned my car yesterday, it now looks as if half the Sahara's desert is on it."

Stephen Adkins from Greatworth Hall said the project delays were "unbelievable"

Not far down the road is Greatworth Hall, where Stephen Adkins' family have been tending the land since 1868.

The construction of HS2 is taking place just yards from his garden.

He said: "The delays are unbelievable and, personally, it just extends the agony."

He said that, if anyone asked him for advice on living near a national infrastructure project, his "advice now would be just get out if you can because it has been miserable".

Sarah Bool MP said she understood how frustrated residents were getting

The Conservative MP for South Northamptonshire, Sarah Bool, said: "I fully understand the frustrations many feel.

"I continue to work closely with affected communities in Radstone, Greatworth and across south Northamptonshire to hold HS2 Ltd to account — pushing for better mitigation, timely communication and proper treatment of those whose lives and land have been upended."

The BBC has contacted HS2 for a statement.