Staffordshire dog charity's worries over scrapped HS2 extension

Ben Wilkes said he was delighted about the scrapping of the scheme

The trustee of a dog rescue centre has said he is "delighted" by the scrapping of HS2's northern leg which had been set to cut through the site.

The high speed rail link's extension between Birmingham and Crewe was to cross land belonging to the Border Collie Trust in Staffordshire.

Ben Wilkes said he had spent £187,000 to buy land adjacent to the centre in order to secure its future.

But despite HS2's Phase 2a since being axed, he worried "this isn't the end".

The prime minister confirmed on Wednesday he was scrapping the second phase due to huge costs and delays, with the government also saying people who lost their homes or businesses would not receive any new compensation.

Mr Wilkes said dealing with HS2 had resulted in eight years of "frustrated meetings, challenges and disappointments".

He said while his land had not been acquisitioned prior to the prime minister's announcement, indications were that money would change hands between January and March next year.

In anticipation, he explained, he bought new land as a place to exercise the animals.

But he had since been left with land "we don't necessarily need now", he said.

Of the scheme's axing, he added: "I'm not celebrating just yet, because although it's been cancelled what's to stop someone coming along in twelve months' time to say 'we've got an idea'?"

'Not as simple'

The charity and boarding kennels have been at the 4.5-acre site at Coton, near Rugeley, for 27 years.

Mr Wilkes said: "I cant imagine it's as simple as the prime minister just saying 'we're cancelling it', there's going to be legal things that they are going to have to go through.

"There are going to be hundreds of people along the line in a similar situation to us who were expecting to be compulsory-purchased, there's going to be so much to sort out and so much money lost."