A woman who sold her £4m home to the government eight years ago because of HS2 says the 10-bedroom property still lies empty despite a national housing crisis.
Rachel Halvorsen cut the multimillion-pound deal with the Department for Transport (DfT) to sell the property, in Brackley in Northamptonshire, which her family converted from a barn back in 1915.
The agreement was struck for the purchase of the farmhouse, along with a bungalow and a cottage, because the HS2 line from London to Birmingham will cut through 25 per cent of the estate’s 40 acres.
Yet despite the residential properties being located 300 metres from the line, and eight years having passed since the sale, only the cottage has been rented back out by HS2.
The farmhouse and bungalow lie empty, said Ms Halvorsen, the swimming pool has been filled in, and a ceiling in the main house is believed to have fallen through.
The empty house and the bungalow, which Ms Halvorsen used to rent out for £1,000 a month, are among 402 homes that sit unoccupied along the HS2 routes, including along the axed lines to Manchester and Leeds.
The DfT bought 1,475 homes, then passed them to HS2, which aimed to rent them out to deliver value for money and avoid empty properties in communities – but 27 per cent lie empty, The Independent can reveal.
It comes as Labour attempts to tackle the housing crisis, with deputy prime minister Angela Rayner this week doubling down on her pledge to build 1.5 million new homes.
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HS2 has told The Independent that some properties were not rented out due to the cost of bringing them up to a “lettable standard”, while some may soon need to be demolished.
But Ms Halvorsen said she couldn’t understand why her home could not have been put up for lease, along with the bungalow she had rented out.
She said: “It’s such a waste of money – the house is so nice, the gardens are beautiful, but after being bought eight years ago, I can’t believe the place has just sat there doing nothing while falling into disrepair.
“It’s money that could have been going to the taxpayer. The house is now doomed for the 20 years or so it’ll take to build the railway.”
The barn was converted into a home by Ms Halvorsen’s family, and she later inherited it. Once a year, the gardens would be opened to the public. But now she can’t stand going back to the property, after moving a half-hour’s drive away.
The cost of looking after the empty property would also have been expensive, she said, with 24/7 security required at one stage after Travellers attempted to access the land.
She said: “Now it’s all closed up, I don’t like going back there, especially with all the construction work nearby. It’s all rather sad, especially when people need homes.”
It’s a similar picture for other large properties bought by the DfT.
In Camden, close to London Euston, where a 4.5-mile-long tunnel is planned to take HS2 passengers to Old Oak Common station, a number of homes were purchased five years ago, including a mansion house that was sold for £7.5m. It was still lying empty last year, the Camden New Journalreported.
Last year, a transport minister said the government had first to rule out an alternative rail plan for the northern legs before the disposal of land and properties can begin. The Independent understands that an announcement will be made by the DfT in the summer.
In the villages of Whitmore, Whitmore Heath and Madeley, about 50 houses were sold to HS2 to make way for the axed northern leg. But at least 20 are empty, claims Deborah Mallender, who lives in Madeley.
Ms Mallender blamed HS2 for renting out only on short-term contracts, and criticised the “over-the-top” standards applied to properties put on the market.
“You walk around the village and you see the empty homes with ridge tiles that are coming off,” she said. “They are being left to fall into wrack and ruin, and one day HS2 will say they need to be pulled down and replaced.
“It’s devastating for the community. Why aren’t these properties being sold?”
Whitmore parish councillor Ian Webb said security had to be stepped up in villages after one house was turned into a cannabis factory.
He said: “When the houses were sold, they all appeared well equipped for new people to come in, but instead many have been left empty. The whole situation is not popular with people in the village; it’s taken away part of the community.”
Estate agent Carter Jonas was appointed to manage the homes on behalf of HS2. In Whitmore Heath, it is currently marketing huge detached homes for up to £3,000 a month on six- and 12-month contracts.
HS2 said it would sell surplus properties in line with government policy.
A spokesperson said: “Properties will only be sold once confirmed as surplus, and sales will follow a structured process, including compliance with the Crichel Down Rules [allowing previous owners to buy back the homes] and market valuation requirements.”
A DfT spokesperson said: “We will set out detailed plans for the land and property no longer required for the project later this summer – ensuring any sales deliver value for money and do not disrupt local property markets.”
