The NFU has stressed the need for lessons to be learned from the chaotic HS2 project around how farming families were and continue to be treated, as the government announced plans for new railway developments over the coming years.
NFU Vice-president Rachel Hallos said: “Farming families along these routes will have lots of questions and plenty of concerns about how the projects will be delivered.
“Those along the Birmingham to Manchester route have already endured years of disruption because of HS2 flipflopping, delays and insufficient communication, uprooting both their businesses and everyday lives. Now they will be held in limbo for least another decade, possibly even two, before work on the new line even starts.
“These are not developments that take a few months, they are years in the making. This means another generation of families will be hit, many of whose homes, land and livelihoods already bear the scars from HS2. Lessons need to be learned from that experience – farming families need to be treated better.
“The NFU will seek to engage with the delivery companies and urge them to work with farming families on these projects. It’s vital farm businesses are able to be productive and profitable throughout this process and remain focused on what they do best – producing food and caring for the great British countryside.”
