We stopped HS2 seizing half our family farm now we're under threat again'

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"A dairy farmer who won a fight to stop almost half of his land being seized for the scrapped HS2 line from Birmingham and Manchester says the family farm could be under threat again. John Edge, 74, said further uncertainty now shrouds the business's future after transport minister Heidi Alexander announced on Wednesday that a new north-south line between the two cities was being planned as part of investment in the northern rail network."

A new proposed north-south rail line between Birmingham and Manchester threatens a Cheshire dairy farm previously targeted by the scrapped HS2 route. John Edge, 74, faced losing 300 of his 700 acres and a rail siding when the original 87-mile HS2 northern link was planned. The northern HS2 link was axed by Rishi Sunak in October 2023 amid rising costs and widespread local protests. The Department for Transport retains protections on the land for potential future projects. Edge, who has been attempting to sell his farmhouse ahead of retirement, says the renewed planning creates further uncertainty for the family's business.

Read at www.independent.co.uk