The questions that remain after Rishi Sunak's HS2 announcement

Rishi Sunak has confirmed the northern leg of HS2 will be axed, bringing an end to what he called a "long running saga".

The future of the high speed rail line had been the subject of constant speculation for weeks, and, in the wake of the prime minister's announcement, attention is now likely to turn to what happens next.

Areas of land along with hundreds of properties and businesses were forcibly sold to make way for the construction of HS2.

But the decision to scrap much of the project raises questions as to what will now happen to such acquisitions and how the government should respond.

Here, ITV News sets out the big talking points to emerge from the HS2 fallout.

Where will HS2 now run?

HS2 will only be built up to its original phase one plans, which will see high speed trains connect passengers between London Euston to Birmingham Curzon Street.

The prime minister used his speech at the Conservative Party conference, in Manchester, to outline the route will no longer terminate at Old Oak Common in London's western suburbs and will instead finish at Euston.

He said the new plan for Euston will save £6.5 billion compared with HS2's vision, explaining HS2 bosses will be stripped of oversight responsibility and a "Euston development zone" will be created to build "thousands of new homes for the next generation of homeowners, new business opportunities and a station that delivers the capacity we need".

Mr Sunak added: "We will complete the line from Birmingham to Euston and yes, HS2 trains will still run here to Manchester and journey times will be cut between Manchester, Birmingham, London by 30 minutes."

What will happen to funding allocated for HS2?

Mr Sunak has pledged the government will reinvest "every single penny" of the £36 billion ringfenced for HS2 on "hundreds of new transport projects in the North and the Midlands".

He said the decision is part of a drive to create a new northern transport network which "will make a real difference across our nation".

For example, HS2 funding will be used to cut train journeys between Manchester and Bradford to 30 minutes and "upgrade the A1, the A2, the A5, the M6".

How does the announcement affect jobs linked to HS2?

HS2 is currently supporting almost 30,000 jobs, including nearly 1,300 apprenticeships, according to HS2 Ltd - the company created to oversee the project.

At present, it is unclear if or how the prime minister's announcement will affect jobs within HS2, but work will continue on phase one of the project - which is expected to finish between 2029 and 2033.

HS2 Ltd declined to comment when approached by ITV News.

Should compensation be paid to those affected by HS2 construction?

HS2 Ltd bought out hundreds of homes and businesses which had occupied land earmarked for HS2 rail lines.

The firm also purchased and felled areas of woodland to make way for construction sites, and had the power to do so through compulsory purchase orders - which allow certain bodies in the UK and Ireland to obtain land or property without the consent of the owner.

However, many of these would now appear to have been bought in vain given the prime minister's announcement.

Currently, it remains unknown what will happen to such acquisitions, but some regional authorities have called on the government to compensate those affected.

Cllr Jamie Stephenson, the chairman of Madeley Parish Council, near Stoke-on-Trent, said HS2 had a "major impact" on a number of local villages and led to farmers being "turfed out" of their land and family homes emptied.

The area was one of a number which had been impacted by the now defunct northern leg of HS2.

Cllr Stephenson added the situation has left an "absolute mess" to sort out and said villagers need to be compensated.

He said: "People have bought houses thinking they will be there forever and they have been turfed out.

"That has to be looked at now - how does that redress happen?"

Will the land be protected for future high-speed developments?

The Department for Transport (DfT) has confirmed that the land earmarked for the HS2 routes will not be protected for potential future expansion of the high-speed railway,

Railway consultant William Barter described the decision as “ludicrous” and an act of “spite”.

Under a process known as safeguarding, land on those routes was protected to stop conflicting developments taking place.

The DfT said safeguarding will be lifted in Cheshire, Derbyshire, Lancashire, Leicestershire, Nottinghamshire, Staffordshire, Warwickshire and Yorkshire “at the earliest opportunity” to “remove the uncertainty that has surrounded thousands of people along the route”.

It went on: “The land acquisition programme on Phase 2a (between the West Midlands and Crewe) will be halted immediately and HS2 will not be accepting new applications under the existing schemes from property owners in the areas where safeguarding is going to be lifted.

“Any property that is no longer required for HS2 will be sold and a programme is being developed to do this.”

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