Transport Secretary Mark Harper told to keep HS2 land until 'alternative' rail plans are in place

Transport for the North, which advises the Government on transport policy, has told Mr Harper it is “essential” that land earmarked for the high-speed line is kept until there are “alternative proposals that would deliver a similar improvement”.

"We need to understand what is the alternative way of connecting those areas,” said Martin Tugwell, chief executive of Transport for the North.

“Until we’ve got that alternative, we need to be protecting the safeguarding that currently exists.

“That’s not to say we’re trying to necessarily resurrect HS2 but if there’s land safeguarded to enable infrastructure to be delivered let’s be certain, before safeguarding is lifted, that’s the right thing to do.”

After the northern leg of the HS2 was scrapped in October, the Department for Transport said it would begin selling off land bought to pave the way for phase 2a (Birmingham to Crewe) within “weeks”.

Land safeguarded for phase 2b, which was originally due to connect Birmingham to Manchester and Leeds, is due to be released next summer.

The Government said it will "allow for alternative investment in these areas" and it is "untrue to claim land will be sold off cheaply or in a hurry"

But political leaders in the north are concerned the move will prevent future governments from reviving HS2 or building a new north-south rail line that provides additional capacity and relieves congestion on the West Coast Mainline.

Sir John, chair of the National Infrastructure Commission, has described the move as “a mistake” and said the land should be kept for several years while alternative plans for upgrading the rail network are considered.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has insisted £19.8bn of the money earmarked for HS2 will now be spent on hundreds of transport upgrades in the North of England, as part of a new plan known as Network North.

However, there are no clear timelines in place for many of these projects as they have not been approved or allocated any funding.

The Department for Transport is also being urged to set out a clear plan for Northern Powerhouse Rail, after it promised to deliver a multi-billion pound network consisting of new high-speed lines and a series of upgrades.

A spokeswoman for the department said: "Lifting the safeguard on land no longer needed for HS2 will allow for alternative investment in these areas.

“It is simply untrue to claim land will be sold off cheaply or in a hurry. A national programme is being developed to deal with land previously used for HS2, ensuring our commitments to the people affected and providing value for the taxpayer, with more details to be set out in due course.

"While we take this forward, we will continue to safeguard land that may be required for delivering Northern Powerhouse Rail, including some around Leeds station.”

HS2 Ltd has already spent more than £2bn on buying land and properties for phase 1 (London to Birmingham), and more than £219m for phase 2a and £368m for phase 2b. Compulsory purchase orders were used to complete many of the deals.

The 134-mile line being built as part of phase 1 is expected to open by 2033 and cost between £49bn and £57bn (at 2019 prices).

In Leeds, more than 700 hectares of land is currently being safeguarded for HS2 and some of it is worth more than £8m per hectare.

Developers have been prevented from building on those sites, which have various owners, for more than a decade as there were plans to build a new high-speed line running into a redeveloped Leeds station.

HS2 Ltd said it will begin releasing land next summer so it can be sold, but any property needed for Northern Powerhouse Rail will “remain protected”.

However, Leeds City Council, which works with HS2 Ltd to protect the land, has been warned that some of the land will need to be kept from developers if it wants to hold on to any hope of turning Leeds station into a T-shaped facility with a high-speed line running south.

It has previously stated that a new north-south line would put the city at the heart of a network of 14m people running from the Midlands up to the North East and Scotland.