HS2 return to Staveley to flesh out next steps for town

Residents in Staveley have been finding out more about what the HS2 high-speed rail project will mean for their town.
HS2's Kate Marsden ready to meet the public at Staveley.HS2's Kate Marsden ready to meet the public at Staveley.
HS2's Kate Marsden ready to meet the public at Staveley.

Chief among the concerns of those who attended a public meeting at the Speedwell Rooms on Friday was the issue of compensation.

When the £50bn project is complete, a HS2 maintenance depot in the town will be serviced by an offshoot from the main line - and many residents were understandably keen to know where they stand.

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Angela and Peter Vickers - who own a property on Netherthorpe Close - were critical of the way HS2 had handled the process so far.

The public meeting at Staveley.The public meeting at Staveley.
The public meeting at Staveley.

“I think it has been rubbish the way they have kept people informed,” said Angela.

“We want to find out if we qualify for compensation or not but we would much rather we stayed as we are and HS2 would just clear off.”

Similarly unimpressed was Angela Day from Tibshelf-based firm, Subframes UK.

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She said that very little had been said so far about how businesses near the line would be affected.

HS2's Marcus King and Kate Marsden ready to meet the public at StaveleyHS2's Marcus King and Kate Marsden ready to meet the public at Staveley
HS2's Marcus King and Kate Marsden ready to meet the public at Staveley

“For us to relocate a manufacturing business with machinery would be a huge task,” she said.

“We employ 50 people and all of those would have to be consulted.”

The meeting was part of an extensive engagement effort by HS2 to explain the process in more detail to the residents and communities affected.

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Kate Marsden, senior engagement manager for HS2, said: “This meeting is mainly about what people can expect in the next 12 months.

The public meeting at Staveley.The public meeting at Staveley.
The public meeting at Staveley.

“We have lots of information that people can take away and a range of experts who can answer specific questions.

“As more information becomes available, I would really urge people to come to talk to us to find out more.”

Ms Marsden said that over the next year, specialist staff from HS2 will be visiting the area regularly to conduct environmental impact assessments.

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These include the effects the project may have on the ecology of the area, its visual impact and the effects of the construction process.

Once complete, these will be shared with the public in a new consultation - probably early next year.

If you would like to speak to HS2 direct, you can call their helpdesk on 08081 434434.

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