Farmers meet to discuss HS2

Farmers in Leicestershire who are worried about plans to build a high speed rail line through some of their fields will meet today to discuss the plans.

HS2 will run parallel with the A42 before heading through Breedon-on-the-Hill, Tonge and Diseworth. The line will also run under East Midlands Airport and then over the M1.

In February, farmers met at Staffordshire's County Showground to discuss the impact of HS2 cutting through agricultural land.

They believe that some farms will be destroyed by the line as well as woodlands and beautiful scenery.

HS2, which will link London to Birmingham, Manchester and Leeds, will cost around £33billion to complete.

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Farmers have been meeting in Staffordshire to voice their anger over the impact of the planned high speed rail route - HS2.

They say some farms will be destroyed by the line as well as woodlands and beautiful scenery.

There's concern too from the Staffordshire County Showground, which will be sliced in two by the railway.

Keith Wilkinson reports.

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Farmers have joined Staffordshire's County Showground this afternoon to discuss the impact of HS2 cutting through agricultural land.

The National Farmers Union (NFU) organised the meeting, which began at 2pm this afternoon.

The Staffordshire Agricultural Society says the rail line will damage the future of the county.

Staffordshire will not receive a station following the Phase Two announcement last month.

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The Staffordshire Showground's car park will be sliced in half by the High Speed rail line running from London to Manchester, says the 70-acre county site.

The showground director describes the Phase Two route as "considerable and serious". Last year the showground held 164 different events and attracted more than half a million visitors.

The county showground and it's partners will be lobbying the Government for a tunnel that would protect it.

At 2pm today the showground is hosting an NFU meeting with farmers who will be affected by HS2.

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Farmers who could see a £32 billion high speed rail network carve up their businesses will meet in Stafford to discuss the latest proposals.

An NFU meeting will be held at Staffordshire County Showground today to discuss the next phase of HS2.

The Staffordshire Showground is presently on the recently disclosed route of PhaseTwo, with a major car park affected.

Last year the showground held 164 different events and atttacted more than half a million visitors.

"This will not benefit Staffordshire people as it will not stop in the town and I'd rather see this money used elsewhere for the county. I think it cuts our land in half and I think it will knock the barn conversions flat and the farmhouse as it cuts its way through. There will also be no access as the railway line is across our main driveway so the farm will be cut off anyway. If this goes ahead it means the end of us from a business point of view."

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