Govt axes development safeguards on HS2 eastern leg

In news that may disappoint but not surprise Yorkshire’s rail-users and property industry, the secretary of state for transport, Heidi Alexander, has lifted development restrictions along what would have been the east line of the beleaguered High Speed railway project, between the West Midland and Leeds.

When the idea was first launched, the eastern leg was touted as a line that would run from Birmingham to Chesterfield, Sheffield, and Leeds, with the potential to extend to Newcastle and on to Scotland, connecting more than 13 million people.

Although the Northern leg was cancelled by the former government in 2023, the lifting of these restrictions indicates an end to any potential revival of the scheme.

While development will now be able to move forward in these areas, it also removes the benefits that would have come with quicker, more efficient travel.

Today’s announcement itself highlights those benefits, in a statement that might leave a bitter taste to those communities along the former eastern leg: ‘HS2 provides an unparalleled opportunity to build new homes, create jobs and attract investment.

‘The re-development of land around the new HS2 stations will enable the ideal conditions for business, new jobs and homes and will act as a catalyst for further investment and wider growth.’

These benefits will continue to be felt on the Euston-Birmingham line, where more than 70% of HS2’s 32 miles of bored and mined tunnels have been completed, with construction progressing across the route.

The statement also notes that a small area to the south of Leeds station will continue to be safeguarded, to allow the redevelopment of the station to continue.

Along with lifting the development safeguards, the secretary of state for transport has also closed various property schemes that were put in place along the proposed route, such as the Rural Support Zone, Express Purchase, Rent Back, and the Need to Sell, stating that existing applications will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis.

In terms of next steps, the government will initiate disposal of more than 550 properties that it no longer requires, from 2026.

Former owners whose property was acquired under statutory order will ‘have the opportunity to reacquire their former property at the current market value’ – a move which, says the statement, is to earn money for the taxpayer and avoid disruption to local property markets.

The reason for the lifting of development restrictions along this route has been put down to the spiralling costs and mismanagement in general of HS2 so far.

So far, around £40.5bn has been spent on the programme, with the recent Spending Review allocating a further £25.3bn to cover costs between 2026-2030.

The government intends to ‘reset’ the programme, and has appointed Mark Wild, former chief executive of Crossrail, to run the project.

In his former capacity, Wild carried out a similar process on the Elizabeth Line, which opened in 2022.

Development restrictions along the western leg, between Crewe and Manchester, will not be affected by today’s announcement.