HS2 residents: 'Our street has been saved for now'

Across several counties, residents of communities threatened by the development of the eastern leg of HS2 have been cautiously celebrating the project's demise.

But for residents of one Derbyshire road, the mood was bittersweet.

People with homes in Bonsall Street, in the town of Long Eaton, have lived with the threat of the wrecking ball for almost a decade.

About 70 properties on the street were facing demolition to make way for a 15m (49ft) viaduct to carry HS2 trains to what was to be the regional hub for the line in Toton, Nottinghamshire.

But under the latest plans, the HS2 line will end at East Midlands Parkway - approximately eight miles (12.8km) south of Long Eaton - meaning residents are hopeful their street has been saved - for now.

Elaine Fletcher, 66, has lived on the road for 19 years.

She said: "In one way I'm really glad. I didn't want to move from here after so many years."

However, she added she was frustrated the years in limbo had left her unable to develop her home.

"With it being under compulsory purchase I didn't want to spend money on it when we thought it was going to be knocked down," she said.

"For example, I've not redone the windows or the kitchen. It's been incredibly frustrating."

Residents on the street say they have heard little from the authorities about the project since a compulsory purchase and compensation scheme was worked out several years ago.

"In a way I am happy but I am also annoyed that it has taken so long. If I'd known one way or the other, I could have planned," said Ms Fletcher.

She was also wary about the official vision changing once more.

At present, HS2 trains will connect with the cities of Nottingham and Derby via a planned upgrade to the current Midlands Mainline and Toton will get a mainline hub.

What these improvements are likely to mean for Long Eaton and the surrounding communities is unclear.

"They've made a decision now but what about in 10 years' time?" said Ms Fletcher. "They could do it all over again.

"Are they going to take the compulsory purchase order off the houses? If they do, would people want to buy them in case they do the railway expansion?"

Linda Edwards, 61, another resident of the road, said she was pleased about the announcement.

"I don't want to move," she said. "We've lived here for 42 years now. HS2 has been a worry.

"We've not heard anything from them for years and you end up not knowing what you're doing - do you decorate, stuff like that."

She spoke with sadness of longstanding neighbours who had moved away.

"A lot of them didn't want to go," she said.

And the fact some politicians have suggested the creation of an Eastern leg may not be off the cards in the long-term have left her questioning how far she trusted the decision.

"This is what they say today - but you don't know," she said.

Valerie Richardson, 64, was one of those neighbours who left the street when her home of 30 years was sold under the compulsory purchase scheme.

Today, her house is being rented to tenants while she lives elsewhere in the town.

"It's been very stressful," she said. "Now someone else is in it when I could have just stayed all along.

"It's a relief [HS2] is not coming through Long Eaton but my first thought when I heard this morning was that I moved for nothing."

Kerry Hickton, 47, said her partner's home had been earmarked for demolition due to the HS2 development.

"For the past seven years, the house has been falling apart and we've not done anything to it," she said.

"At the end of the day, it was going to be knocked down.

"We've waited so long now everything is in disrepair. We put everything on hold. It's nice to know it's not being demolished but it puts a lot of people in a difficult situation."

Conversely Robert Gascoigne, 73, decided not to sell the home he had lived in for 50 years, which was also due to be demolished - because he never expected the line to be built.

"It's not a surprise to me - it's been put back so many times," he said.

"It's the right decision. But it's nice to know."

Announcing its plan, the Department for Transport said the improvements it intended to make would speed up connectivity to towns such as Long Eaton.

"Under earlier plans, smaller towns on existing main lines... would have seen little improvement, and in some cases even their services cut back," it said in a statement.

"The Integrated Rail Plan will protect and improve these crucial links and will deliver improvements with far less disruption to local communities."

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