THE HS2 rail link is set to cut through Aston Villa’s training ground – leaving fans fuming.
Villa bosses are seeking compensation over the building of the £24.7billion high-speed link between Birmingham and London.
The proposed route will cut through Bodymoor Heath training ground – a beautiful area and a great set-up.
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I know some might say ‘why not just move it all?’ Easier said than done to find suitable land and set it all up like it is already at Bodymoor.
And not only is the finding the land difficult, it’s then about affording to buy it because the rest of Bodymoor, once the train runs through it, I would assume wouldn’t be a saleable asset to fund the move.
The government will be using compulsory purchases orders for land they need all over the proposed route and part of that will cut through what is a state of the art and well established youth training facility including several pitches as well as affecting first team operations wise.
Good to see MP Khalid Mahmood hasn’t been side tracked though, he’s been down to Bodymoor Heath to talk to the club about the massive threat to our state of the art training ground thanks to the proposed new transport link the HS2….
As Mahmood has observed, the noise of the trains will also massively effect the training ground full stop (not just where the train cuts through).
Years back when Villa were trying to get planning to extend the training ground they had to jump through planning hoops because of the threat to some rare wildlife (including a newt if memory serves me right) and had to compromise on all sorts of planning restrictions and rules.
Now all of a sudden the government think it ok to just cut right through it with a transport link that isn’t needed? You can get to London in 90 minutes, how much quicker do you need to get there?!
An HS2 Ltd spokesperson said: “Approximately 10 per cent of Aston Villa’s Bodymoor Heath training ground is needed for Phase One (more for the next phase?) of the HS2 project. We are currently in negotiation with Aston Villa Football Club and are optimistic about finding a positive solution that works for the project and provides the Club with the certainty they need to move forward.”
Phase one will mean work starts in 2018 and by then Aston Villa will need to have re-located or made other arrangements in that area otherwise we stand the chance of losing out to other clubs when it comes to attracting the best young hopefuls.
That could have a serious impact on our club. Just imagine the cost of a Jack Grealish on the open market now?
He’s been produced through the academy and this could cost us the next on the ‘production line’ in what is a very competitive area.
Just when we are trying to get back on our feet and looking to not only return to the Premier League but also get the club on a level footing to compete with the best, we get thrown into a spin over this issue.
It’s crucial that the club is able to get the right compensation for this proposal in order to get the new academy area set up and running BEFORE the bulldozers come in.
If not, the cost could be far higher than ‘just’ replacing the bricks and mortar, not to mention the pitches.
Surely the case will be made and the Government (gulp) will listen?
It will be up to them to underwrite any necessary changes before taking the land they require from their compulsory order. (As if they couldn’t have planned this better and not cut through our training ground in the first place!)
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What is at the Academy? NINE academy training pitches, four pitches for the first team plus the state of the art building I was lucky enough to be filmed in for the kit launch this summer including the swimming pool and gym. That includes several indoor pitches, conference rooms and also a staff restaurant.
As I’ve already said, the club had to jump through hoops to get permission to set all of this up, now the HS2 is able to plough through it with no regard.
It might not matter to the government but it damn well matters to us, this is OUR club and our history.
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