A long-established and thriving family farm of in Staffordshire is set to be decimated by HS2 plans, destroying 15 out of 19 buildings and forcing the owners and their family to make another life for themselves.

A video made by the NFU shows the Barnes family’s story in efforts to bring awareness to the negative impact HS2 is set to have on more than a hundred farming businesses along Phase 1 of the route.

John and Rosemary Barnes run Packington Moor Farm, Lichfield with their son and daughter-in-law following two generations of John’s ascendants.

Though they are disappointed that their plans for further investment into their business have been put on hold, they remain realistic about the future with the HS2 plans in mind.

John Barnes said: “We have a flock of 200 sheep, 450 acres of cereals, a wedding venue, a farm shop and a café. HS2 will cut our farm in half and the bulk of its infrastructure will be demolished, as well as my son’s house.”

Rosemary Barnes added: “HS2 is destroying our life as we know it; we are prepared to make another life but we need certainty of the future and appropriate compensation to go with that.”

This is the second video in the NFU’s three-part HS2 Impacts series, which is part of the organisation’s efforts to ensure farmer’s needs, outlined at the end of each video, are met at every stage of the HS2 development.