Latest news with #DepartmentforTransport
The Independent
11 hours ago
- Business
- The Independent
‘I sold my beautiful £4m home for HS2 eight years ago - and it's sat empty ever since'
A woman who sold her £4m home to the government eight years ago because of HS2 says the 10-bedroom property lies empty, despite a national housing crisis. Rachel Halvorsen cut the multi-million pound deal with the Department for Transport to sell the home, in Brackley in Northamptonshire, that her family converted from a barn in 1915. The agreement was struck for the farmhouse, along with a bungalow and 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 located 300 metres from the line, and the sale completed eight years ago, only the cottage has been rented back out by HS2. The farmhouse and cottage lie empty, said Mrs 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 bungalow, which Ms Halvorsen used to rent out for £1,000 a month, are among 402 homes which sit unoccupied along the HS2 routes, including the northern axed phase 2a and 2b lines to Manchester and Leeds. The DfT bought 1,475 homes, then passed them on 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 desperately attempts to tackle a housing crisis, with deputy prime minister Angela Rayner doubling down on a pledge to build 1.5m new homes this week. HS2 has told The Independent some properties were not rented due to the cost of bringing them up to a 'lettable standard', while some may need to be demolished in the near future. But Mrs Halvorsen said she couldn't understand why her home, which fitted with a new fireplace when she left, 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.' Mrs Halvorson's mother converted the barn into the family home, which she later inherited. 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 will 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 DfT. In Camden, which sits near London Euston, where a tunnel 4.5 miles long is planned to take HS2 passengers to Old Oak Common station, homes were purchased, including a mansion house for £7.4m five years ago, which the Camden New Journal reported last year still lay empty. On the northern legs of the HS2 project, despite the announcement to cancel the routes two years ago, HS2-owned properties not only sit empty, but there is no immediate sign when they could be sold back into communities. Last year, a transport minister said the government had to first rule out an alternative rail plan for the northern legs before the disposal of land and properties begins. The Independent understands 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 he axed northern leg. But at least 20 are empty, claims Deborah Mallender, who lives in Madeley. The resident blamed HS2 for renting out only on short-term contracts, and the 'over-the-top' standards for 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 rack and ruin, and one day HS2 will say they'll 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.' 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.'
BBC News
16 hours ago
- Automotive
- BBC News
Hildenborough cyclist says she does not feel safe riding in Kent
A cyclist from Kent says she does not feel safe riding on the county's roads as a charity says a record number of people are reporting to police being overtaken too safety charity IAM RoadSmart says the numbers of cyclists who submitted video footage of poor driving to police also doubled from 7,249 in 2021 to 15,779 in 2024More than half of motorists admit they do not know how much space to leave when overtaking, the charity Alice Thomas, from Hildenborough, said: "I don't feel safe cycling in Kent, I lived in London for 10 years and I felt safer cycling there than I do here - drivers get so annoyed and overtake very closely." IAM RoadSmart says data shows the number of reports leading to the serving of a notice of intended prosecution rose from 38% in 2021 to 54% in a third of people say they do not cycle because they think it is too dangerous, the charity to the Department for Transport, 87 pedal cyclists were killed in Great Britain in 2023, while 3,942 were reported to be seriously injured and 10,970 slightly injured. Ms Thomas told BBC Radio Kent: "I always see arguments between cyclists and drivers online, comment sections, radio phone-ins, but other countries aren't like that, they all work together, it feels like a real conflict here." 'Cyclists are human beings' The Highway Code, which was updated in 2022, recommends that drivers gave cyclists at least 1.5m (5ft) of space - about the width of a compact car - when overtaking at speeds of up to 30mph (48kmh).Ms Thomas says: "There's a big narrative between cyclists and drivers hating each other, which is crazy because the majority of cyclists are drivers as well."So it's not one or the other, cyclists are human beings. "I'm a mother of two young boys and I always just think, I want to be able to go home safely to my sons."
Metro
2 days ago
- Automotive
- Metro
Dartford Charge will go up for drivers - here's how much it rises
The Dartford Crossing charge is set to increase later on this year to help ease congestion, the Department for Transport has announced. The fee, which is paid by motorists driving on the A282 road between Dartford in Kent in the south and Thurrock in Essex in the north, is used to maintain upkeep of the bridge. From September 1, the Dartford Crossing charge will increase from £2.50 to £3.50 for cars, minibuses and motorhomes, while coaches, buses and vans will be charged £4.20 instead of the previous price of £3. The Dartford Crossing charge for lorries and large vehicles with more than two axles will increase from £6 to £8.40. Motorbikes and mopeds can continue to cross for free. The route is the UK's busiest crossing as it sees an average of 150,000 vehicles a day, but it was built for 135,000, National Highways said. On some days, traffic reaches 180,000, and the crossing is no stranger to traffic gridlock and severe delays. Drivers using the crossing, which is made up of the Queen Elizabeth II bridge southbound and two tunnels northbound, have to pay the Dart Charge every time they use it. The Dart Charge has faced criticism from motorists who have been wrongly fined for crossings they never made, including a doctor who was fined 34 times after the ANPR cameras mistook another number plate as hers. Residents have been able to cross as many times as they want for £20 a year, but that will also increase this autumn to £25. Announcing the Dartford Crossing charge increase, junior transport minister, Lilian Greenwood, said the traffic levels are 'well in excess of the crossing's design capacity, causing delays for drivers using the crossing, congestion and journey disruption to drivers on the M25 and a range of knock-on impacts for local communities.' The crossing charges have increased steadily since the four-lane bridge opened in 1991, shortly after the M25 opened. The tunnels, which opened in 1963 and 1980 respectively, originally cost two shillings and sixpence to use. It is thought the charges were intended to be phased out when the construction costs were covered, but the charges have become a permanent fixture. More Trending People in the area have told Metro that when an incident blocks traffic at Dartford, the nearby local roads become mayhem with diverted vehicles navigating narrow roads. One resident said it is not uncommon to see huge lorries clogging up the village roads when Dartford traffic is diverted. In a bid to take pressure off the Dartford, National Highways wants to build a second crossing nearby, the Lower Thames Crossing. The £10 billion Lower Thames Crossing was awarded £590 million in government funding after the project was approved by planners. Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@ For more stories like this, check our news page. MORE: HS2 is delayed again – here's how much it is over budget MORE: Another e-bike brand is set to launch in London this summer MORE: Traffic delays on M25 after multi-vehicle crash
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Latest official UK inflation figures explained and why they are not what they seem
New figures suggest the UK's rate of inflation has dipped, yet official data has revealed a minor calculation error The Office for National Statistics (ONS) initially stated on May 21 that the Consumer Prices Index (CPI) for April was 3.5 per cent. However, on June 5, the ONS corrected this figure, confirming the actual rate was 3.4 per cent. This discrepancy arose due to an error in the calculation of vehicle excise duty (VED) data provided by the Department for Transport. Despite the reported easing of inflation from 3.5 per cent in April to 3.4 per cent in May, the actual inflation rate remained unchanged at 3.4% for both months. This data had overstated the number of vehicles subject to VED – which in turn led to the ONS overstating April's overall rate of inflation by 0.1 percentage points, reporting it to be 3.5 per cent instead of 3.4 per cent. But while April's rate is now known to have been wrong, the ONS has a policy of not revising official inflation figures in subsequent publications. This is why, in the inflation data published on Wednesday, the ONS said April's inflation rate was 3.5 per cent, not 3.4 per cent – and why its figures suggest inflation eased month on month, instead of what actually happened, which is that it remained at 3.4 per cent. April's inflation figure will continue to be stated by the ONS as 3.5 per cent, despite it actually being 3.4 per cent. Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Leader Live
2 days ago
- Automotive
- Leader Live
Why the latest official UK inflation figures are not what they seem
The discrepancy is to do with an error made in the initial calculation of April's inflation rate. When April's Consumer Prices Index figure was first reported by the Office for National Statistics (ONS), on May 21, it was stated as being 3.5%. However on June 5, the ONS issued a statement saying this figure was incorrect and that it should have been 3.4%. The ONS said it had spotted a mistake in the way April's rate had been calculated. The error was to do with data from the Department for Transport concerning vehicle excise duty (VED). This data had overstated the number of vehicles subject to VED – which in turn led to the ONS overstating April's overall rate of inflation by 0.1 percentage points, reporting it to be 3.5% instead of 3.4%. But while April's rate is now known to have been wrong, the ONS has a policy of not revising official inflation figures in subsequent publications. This is why, in the inflation data published on Wednesday, the ONS said April's inflation rate was 3.5%, not 3.4% – and why its figures suggest inflation eased month on month, instead of what actually happened, which is that it remained at 3.4%. April's inflation figure will continue to be stated by the ONS as 3.5%, despite it actually being 3.4%.
