- The scrapping of the section of HS2 railway line from Birmingham to Manchester has devastated the village of Whitmore Heath, with 35 of its 50 homes bought for the project now empty or rented.
- Locals report that the community has been "ripped apart" and "destroyed" by the abandoned plans, leaving residents feeling "in limbo".
- Taxpayers are incurring an annual cost of £1.9 million (£37,000 per week) to guard about 430 empty properties acquired for the overall HS2 project, including those on axed routes.
- HS2 spent £3.7 billion on purchasing 1,727 properties in total, with £633 million allocated to 1,021 properties along the cancelled sections of the line.
- Calls are being made for these properties to be sold back to the community or put back on the market to help restore the village, amidst ongoing uncertainty regarding future rail schemes.
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