Pretty little UK village with most complaints about HS2 where locals say 'life is misery'

Residents in the village with the most complaints over HS2 say rural life has been shattered by 'hellish' construction works which leaves their houses shaking at night.

Fed-up locals in Meriden, West Midlands - which is known as the historic centre of England - say noisy works and living by a 'giant building site' is making life a misery.

Some have reported being kept awake at night as a result of heavy machinery vibrating their properties as work on the £100bn high speed rail project continues.

Villagers have also complained of traffic chaos caused by lorries and diggers accessing the site as well as picturesque countryside being "carved up".

Others say they are considering moving out of the area over fears property values, which currently average £443,000, will be impacted by the 'eyesore' development.

It emerged last week Prime Minister Keir Starmer is considering reviving the northern routes previously scrapped under the Tory government.

But works on the Birmingham to London leg are still ongoing with those living in Meriden, near Solihull, saying there appears to be "no end to the work in sight".

The area is steeped in history being known as the centre of England as early as 1829, and has an ancient monument to mark that title on the village green.

Businessman and author Stephen Smith, 81, of Meriden, said: "I moved here as my brother passed away and I wanted to visit his grave each day.

"Being from London originally I really started to appreciate green belt land and nature around me and then HS2 happened.

"Aside from all the overspending and whether we even need this line, the works have carved up our beautiful countryside on the outskirts of the village.

"You can feel the vibrations from the construction work at home and the traffic has been hell.

"The HS2 workers are decent enough hard-working guys but it's those higher up the chain who just don't seem to care about the impact this is having.

"People are being displaced and having their villages turned into building sites. It's been terrible."

Another local resident Paul Wilson, 41, added: "I'm seriously considering moving house and I've lived here all my life.

"It's been hellish living next to a gigantic building site with no end to the works in sight.

"The completion dates just seem to get pushed back constantly with the price of the project goes up and up.

"It has completely shattered the peace of living in a village and I fear it will bring down property prices too as its an eyesore."

Grandfather-of-nine Patrick Mayle, 65, a former restaurant owner, of Meriden, added:

“We've had the vibrations of the explosions and drills making the houses shake.

"You can hear the works sometimes. My hearing is bad but my son says he has been kept awake.

“You’ve only got to look at the damage they’ve done.

"They've took woods away that are supposed to be protected. Instead of chopping a few trees, they’ve chopped a whole load down. Now there’s gaps in the countryside.

"You end up on the roads that are blocked off around it, I refuse to drive around there.

“HS2 isn’t going to work, it’s too much money, cost double the price and they can’t replace the countryside.

“All the land they’ve dug over, there were streams there. We’ve had nothing but floods in our gardens.

“People are losing their horses because of the streams. They’ve diverted all the water and pushed it to one side. Farmers have lost livestock, caused by their doing.

“What difference is it going to make if you’re going to get into London ten minutes quicker?

“I can’t see how it will benefit anyone here. If they built a hospital, then sure. I don’t like London, I’m a Brummie, I wouldn’t be seen dead in London.

“I don’t know where they’re going with this, but they have to carry on because they’ve spent so much money.”

Another local resident, who would only give her name as Jean, aged 71, added: "It's the environmental impact too of cutting all the trees down.

"I travel on buses and going out of the village with all the disruption and interruption with the traffic is a shame.

"What is really annoying is that track they are building is practically parallel with another one that is currently in existence.

"That one already goes from London to Birmingham.

"They've had to close roads and fell trees that have been up for years, it's such a shame that it's proving so disruptive."

It was previously reported the village had made the most complaints over HS2 with the majority being about the noise and vibration from construction at night.

Others centred around noise and vibration in general, transport signage and traffic as well as general site requirements such as cranes.

An HS2 spokesperson said: “We take our responsibilities to local communities very seriously and try to minimise the impacts of construction wherever possible.

"We are committed to quickly and positively supporting anyone who has concerns over HS2’s construction – including noise – and in the last year we responded to 100 per cent of urgent queries and complaints made through our helpdesk in two working days.

“In the short term, building any new infrastructure requires space for construction sites and we understand that people are concerned about impacts on the environment.

"However, the railway will be blended back into the landscape in the future.

"Across the whole Midlands region, we will plant almost 1,000 hectares of woodland, hedgerow, wildflower grassland and wetland – about the area of 1,300 football pitches."