"HS2 will only bring destruction to Doncaster" says councillor as PM confirms project will go ahead following review

The comments come as Prime Minister Boris Johnson confirmed HS2 will be built following an independent review into the project.

The line is set to cut through the Shimmer estate in Mexborough with further demolitions up the line along western parts of rural Doncaster. Mexborough itself will suffer more demolitions than any other across England.

Sheffield will get a HS2 station at Midland in the city centre but will not be on the main high speed line. A slower spur line will be built connecting to the main route.

Meadowhall was initially proposed as the South Yorkshire station which brought limited demolition of residential homes. But Sheffield City Council successfully lobbied for a city centre station which altered the route.

Estimates suggest the project will be massively over budget at £106bn.

Ministers have asked that further work is undertaken on the scope of Phase 2B – which includes the Eastern Leg of HS2 through South Yorkshire.

The first phase of the route will travel between London and Birmingham, with a second phase going to Manchester and through South Yorkshire to Leeds.

“It’s really disappointing the project as a whole is going ahead - it’s not about nimbyism we’ve had a track record of being against it before the routed through Mexborough,” Coun Pickering said.

He added: “From Doncaster and South Yorkshire’s point of view, this announcement still gives us a little bit of hope that a serious review will be done on phase 2B because the project as it is delivers nothing at all for this region.

“It brings nothing but destruction, HS2 for this region brings now positive in any shape or form - we’ll just see 200 homes come down on the Shimmer estate plus other demolitions.

“I’d like to see what HS2 say the benefits are for South Yorkshire, Sheffield doesn’t get high-speed rail it gets a slow-moving spur line. They’re supposed to be building for the future for the 2050s but Sheffield, the only city in South Yorkshire, is getting a branch line with 2012 speeds.”