Dearne MP demands HS2 route rethink

John Healey wants HS2 Ltd to reconsider the new route it revealed weeks ago which will take the line through Aston, Bramley, Wales, Mexborough and the Dearne Valley.

It was controversially moved from an option which took the line via a proposed interchange at Meadowhall.

Now, the Wentworth and Dearne MP has demanded that the Meadowhall option be reconsidered.

The new route has caused uproar by proposing a line through housing estates and businesses, sparking protest meetings and a march of angry homeowners.

At one information event in Bramley, a man was left with a cut on his back and a ripped shirt after falling during a disagreement.

Protesters from the Broadlands estate, which would be affected by the newly proposed route, marched from their homes to the meeting at Bramley Parish Hall.

Mr Healey told new Transport Secretary Chris Grayling that he was “dismayed” that Meadowhall has been dropped in favour of an option which only offers a normal spur line from the fast track into Sheffield. 

The new route offers no South Yorkshire stations on the high speed line itself.

In a letter to Mr Grayling, Mr Healey called for the Secretary of State “to commission HS2 to undertake a study of the feasibility and benefits of a mainline South Yorkshire station, on the HS2 route rather than on a loop of standard rail track in central Sheffield”. 

Mr Healey said that he had sought support from HS2 chairman Sir David Higgins for the study but would require the green light from the Transport Secretary before it could go ahead. 

Mr Healey said the change to the route had “come out of the blue” and he was “dismayed” by the new proposals. 

In a separate letter to Sir David Higgins, Mr Healey urged the HS2 chairman to work with Rotherham, Barnsley and Doncaster councils to address concerns over the proposed route.

In response to the event at Bramley, an HS2 Ltd spokesman said: “We understand how difficult a time this is for the community. 

“Bramley’s event was held to provide information so that those affected can understand the options that are available to them. 

“With almost 1,200 people coming through the doors throughout the day, we were very pleased to see so many attend. 

“No restrictions were put on those participating in the peaceful march from entering the event.”

But he said the significant number of people attending meant the room was “simply not big enough to accommodate everyone” and the event was closed for a short time for safety reasons.

The latest proposals would also see a popular riding stables in Aston, which attracts horse lovers from across the country and runs sessions for disabled children, demolished.

Owners — father and son Robert and Richard Sampson — said they had only received a “lacklustre” response from HS2 to their phone calls asking for information, even though the proposed rail line is earmarked to cut through the middle of their business as it follows the M1 up to its junction with the M18.