Fears raised over HS2 construction traffic using Shropshire village
A Shropshire village could be swamped by construction traffic building the HS2 rail line, councillors fear.
Bosses behind HS2, which plans to take passengers from London to Manchester via the West Midlands, have revealed that construction vehicles will make their way down the A525 to Woore, near Market Drayton.
The company building the high-speed rail link, which skirts the north east corner of the county, is consulting on the plans and says it will work to minimise the impact.
Woore Parish Council says it is worried HS2 will situate a construction depot in one of the fields as signs have been put up on farm land around the village in a bid to find land owners.
Sarah Pimlott, Woore Parish Council clerk, said: "The railway line itself will not go through Woore but all the construction traffic may go through the village.
"Also we are concerned about where all the waste from tunnelling and construction will go after.
"Recently contractors from HS2 have been putting up notices on farm lane around Woore trying to find the owners.
"We are worried about this - perhaps they want to build a depot near-by or make highways changes. They are looking for more site.
"Representatives from HS2 will be coming to our next meeting on July 10 so we hope we will get the answers then and a clear plan about what they are going to be doing in Woore.
"People want to know the plans as they are anxious."
Stephen Clifford, co vice-chairman of the Woore parish neighbourhood planning team, said: "The team is of course aware of the latest news on HS2 road traffic passing through the village from the building site on the far side of Bar Hill once construction work reaches that far, and if any development in the parish itself is intended.
"The line of course being in Madeley in Staffordshire, although they wish to take the spoil through Shropshire instead it seems.
"We will take every account of this in drafting the relevant policies."
HS2 was given Royal Assent by the Queen in February, paving the way for construction to begin on the new train line.
The line to Crewe is due to open in 2027, and to Manchester, Leeds, South Yorkshire and the East Midlands in 2033.
In total, the project is expected to cost £55.7billion.
The railway is set to slash journey times and give more passengers seats, but hundreds of home owners will have their homes demolished to make way for the line.
Three representatives of HS2 will be at a meeting in Woore Victory Hall to give a presentation to residents about the likely impact of the HS2 proposals on the area.
The meeting will be held at 7.30pm on July 10.
