HS2: Eight 'parkway' station proposal sites revealed

Eight potential sites have been mentioned in the pictured villages and towns

A shortlist of sites for a potential HS2 "parkway" station to serve South Yorkshire has been revealed.

One of the eight places, revealed at a Doncaster Council meeting, could act as a rail park-and-ride site with 1,700 parking spaces.

Opponents living in the rural locations in Doncaster, Rotherham and Wakefield said it would "not benefit Yorkshire".

HS2 said the early proposal would provide "additional access onto the railway for a wider area".

More updates on this story and others in South Yorkshire

Proposed sites

• Bramley in Rotherham, South Yorkshire

• Clayton in Doncaster, South Yorkshire

• Fitzwilliam in Wakefield, West Yorkshire

• Hemsworth in Wakefield

• Hickleton in Doncaster

• Hooton Roberts in Rotherham

• Mexborough in Doncaster

• Wales in Rotherham

The proposed South Yorkshire HS2 route, part of phase 2b of the project, runs east of Sheffield towards the M18, with a separate spur to take passengers to Sheffield city centre.

Paul Griffiths, phase 2 development director at HS2, said: "We've focussed our attention [at the eight sites] because there are already roads and access, but we are at a very early stage of the development.

"There would be public consultations and the secretary of state would take a view as to whether we can manage this in a way which doesn't have too much impact and whether this does make sense as a proposal."

The HS2 project, pictured here in an artist's impression, aims to be fully completed by 2033

A study looking into the possibility of a "parkway" station is due to be completed later in 2017.

Christine Jackson, chair of Hickleton Parish Council, said: "I presume you would have greenbelt for a car park, people would struggle to get to it due to a busy A road.

"You would lose its sense of being a conservation area, so I can't see anything positive about it."

The proposed HS2 phase 2b route (purple) will pass between Rotherham and Doncaster as opposed to the original route (yellow)

Grant Morement, who lives in Hooton Roberts, said: "It doesn't help the capacity, it doesn't benefit Yorkshire, it has no economic benefit, there's just no point whatsoever having it up here."

What will the second phase of HS2 involve?

In November, the government confirmed the route for the second phase - from Crewe to Manchester and the West Midlands to Leeds.

A new HS2 station will be built next to Manchester Piccadilly, with a spur to take HS2 to another new station at Manchester Airport.

The decision on how to run the line to Sheffield has been delayed. 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.

What do we know about HS2?