'HS2 has made our beautiful village stink like rotten egg'

After years of traffic, dust and disruption, residents in Water Orton are facing a new issue from the high-speed rail project

- ALEX ROSS

Fourteen years ago, a band of experts - engineers, property specialists and environmentalists - rolled into a Warwickshire village to present a plan for a new high-speed line from London to Manchester and Leeds, with the promise of regional economic growth and jobs.

The “once-in-a-lifetime” HS2 project would see trains travel at speeds of up to 250mph, linking the capital with cities across northern England and finally breaking an historic north-south divide.

But instead, the residents of Water Orton, where a spur of the line to Birmingham curves around the southern edge of village, claim their once-peaceful community has only been plagued with dust, noise and traffic from construction.

Now, the villagers say they are facing another problem: a pungent stench, coming from the opening of a 3.5-mile twin-bore tunnel from Birmingham. It’s said to be so strong that some people in the 3,500-population community decide to stay inside.

“It stinks to the high heavens,” says retired economist Feli Freeman, who lives in a 1930s-built four-bedroom home on Attleboro Lane, within eyesight of the huge cranes and concrete works associated with the HS2 line.

She added: “It is an obnoxious smell, it is nauseating, it is limiting in terms of going out for walks. I don’t want to take my dog for a walk.”

The 66-year-old claims the building of the line has disrupted her life with noise at night, increased traffic and vibrations.

Two years ago, she was offered £3,500 by HS2 for damage to her roof, but refused it when it came with a nondisclosure agreement, also known as a “gagging order”. HS2 said the agreement was added by mistake, and the offer still stands without it.

Almost every person The Independent spoke to said they notice the smell, which has been described as “fishy” and “like rotten eggs”.