Man Sells Home to HS2 for £1.2m, Later Finds It Turned into Cannabis Farm

Published: 16 August’ 2025. The English Chronicle Desk, English Chronicle Online

Alan Wilkinson, a retired resident of Whitmore Heath in Staffordshire, expressed his shock and dismay after discovering that the home he sold to HS2 for £1.2 million had been converted into a cannabis-growing operation.

Mr. Wilkinson and his wife Gillian purchased their four-bedroom hillside property in the late 1970s, enhancing it with modern features including a swimming pool and renovated kitchen. When proposals for the HS2 high-speed rail line beneath their village emerged, the couple decided to sell their home and downsize. Tragically, Gillian passed away from pancreatic cancer two weeks before the scheduled move in 2019, never seeing the completion of the sale.

Although the property was not directly required for the HS2 route, the Wilkinsons sold it under a “Special Circumstances Scheme,” with HS2 covering legal and moving costs. The home was subsequently rented out, but Mr. Wilkinson was later alerted by a neighbour that the property was being used to cultivate cannabis. Police investigations revealed 184 cannabis plants spread across five rooms, and a man from Merseyside pleaded guilty to producing a class B drug in July.

“It’s terrible. I lived there for 30 years. It was a significant part of my life, a beautiful home, and now it’s empty and abandoned,” said Mr. Wilkinson. He added that rumours suggest the property might eventually be demolished and rebuilt.

The Wilkinsons’ home was one of 35 properties acquired by HS2 along the section of the planned line between Birmingham and Manchester, many of which now remain empty. The cancellation of this section in 2023 by the previous government added to the disruption in the community, leaving locals feeling that the village had been irreversibly affected.

HS2 confirmed that no homeowners were forced to sell, and that properties purchased under its Special Circumstances Scheme, including Mr. Wilkinson’s, included full relocation support. A spokesperson emphasised their condemnation of the illegal cannabis operation, noting that the property had been managed by agents on the rental market to recoup taxpayer costs and remains secured by private security.

Staffordshire Police confirmed that Darren Pinnington, 32, of Liverpool, had pleaded guilty to involvement in producing a controlled class B substance at the property and awaits sentencing.

While HS2 continues to progress on other parts of the project, including a route from London to Handsacre with a spur to Birmingham, delays and rising costs have left no confirmed opening date for the high-speed rail line.