HS2: Homeowners brand proposed downgrade 'an act of cruelty'

Roger and Margaret Lymn lived in Trent Cottages for 49 years

Residents who sold their home to make way for HS2 have branded the possible downgrading of the line an "act of cruelty".

Roger and Margaret Lymn sold their Derbyshire home to the government in 2020, as it was considered "blighted" by the line's eastern leg.

It has now been suggested this route - between Leeds and Birmingham - may be scrapped.

However, the government has maintained it is committed to the route.

Mr and Mrs Lymn lived at Trent Cottages, Long Eaton, for 49 years and thought it would be where they spent the rest of their lives.

It was one of 10 properties made up of a former station house and railway cottages.

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Mr Lymn, 76, said the HS2 plans "decimated a happy community".

He has been further angered by a report by the National Infrastructure Commission (NIC) - an independent body which advises the government - which has proposed terminating the eastern leg of the line at East Midlands Parkway station, in Nottinghamshire.

Regional leaders have said this would be "devastating" for the cities and communities where the line was due to go.

If the government accepts the option, it means Mr Lymn and several of his former neighbours would never have needed to leave their homes.

The National Infrastructure Commission (NIC) has proposed downgrading the eastern leg of the line

Mr Lymn, a retired railway manager who now lives in Loughborough, Leicestershire, said: "For them to come back and say they didn't want it after all is almost an act of cruelty really.

"I just find it staggering. We've all been hurt by this situation, all the way along."

The government is due to announce its decision on the eastern leg in its Integrated Rail Plan.

On Thursday, Transport Minister Andrew Stephenson said: "We are committed to building HS2, phase 2b, and to enable the East Midlands, Yorkshire and the North East to reap the benefits of high-speed rail services."

A spokesperson for the Department for Transport added: "Our Integrated Rail Plan will outline how projects, including HS2 and Northern Powerhouse Rail, can work together to deliver the reliable train services that passengers need and deserve, as quickly as possible."

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