The family behind an award winning organic farm have spoken of their dismay after discovering the HS2 line will go straight through their land.
Swillington Organic Farm has been in the Cartwright famiy’s hands for three generations but they now fear for the future.
In addition to the farm, the family runs the popular angling venue, Swillington Park, on the same plot of land.
Ed Cartwright said: “They are proposing a viaduct straight through our leisure fishing business, through our access road and a few yards from our farm shop.
“This is a tranquil spot outside Leeds that anglers come to for that reason and it is hard to sell an organic high end farm product when you have got a railway going past.
“If you look on the map they have not regarded us as a business, they have said it is going through a flood plain but it has never naturally flooded, it is a valuable commercial location.”
The Government has stressed that the route published yesterday is for consultation and has not been finalised.
Residents and businesses that find themselves in the path of the new railway lines have also been promised generous compensation.
Mr Cartwright said: “This is organic stewardship land which takes years to develop.
“The issue is you couldn’t replicate that elsewhere. We are quite a local business, the majority of our business comes from Leeds or we deliver to Leeds so you could find the land but if it was in the middle of East Yorkshire or North Yorkshire it wouldn’t be the same business any more.
“You get news like you do today and you don’t know what you should do. You can’t put a few hundred grand into the business if you think in ten or 15 years time it could be bulldozed.
“They have railroaded it through the south and I can’t see they are going to make significant changes to the route for us which leaves is with a dilemma over what we do.”
The announcement also provoked anger in the village of Church Fenton where there are plans for the line to be mounted on “stilts” in case of flooding.
Parish councillor Jo Mason said: “We as a village will fight this every step of the way.
“There are no benefits to Church Fenton and it can only mean one thing to this ancient village - disaster.
“Whatever happens people have been put in this very uncertain position of living under a massive flyover with 200mph trains going through it.”
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