HS2 Ravenswood case develops

An elderly man learns the house HS2 bought for public reasons later became a cannabis operation managed by a private tenant.

HS2 buys Ravenswood home ends up with cannabis farm

Alan Wilkinson, now 85, and his late wife Gillian lived at Ravenswood in the Staffordshire village of Whitmore Heath for about 40 years. In 2019, as HS2 planned a tunnel beneath the hillside, the couple began negotiations to sell the four-bedroom home. Gillian died two weeks before the sale closed, and HS2 bought Ravenswood for £1.2 million.

The house was then let through an external agency. In November 2022 police raided Ravenswood and found nearly 200 cannabis plants. The tenant, Darren Pinnington, pleaded guilty to producing cannabis and awaits sentencing. Because the cannabis operation damaged the home, HS2 says it cannot relist the property without costly repairs. The area is patrolled by private security teams who work closely with Staffordshire Constabulary.

The Ravenswood case highlights the friction between public infrastructure projects and private lives. When taxpayers’ money funds a private home, questions rise about oversight, responsibility, and what happens to the property once a project changes course. It also shows how quick arrangements can become long-term costs if a rented setup spirals out of control.

Beyond the legal facts, the incident tests trust in large schemes and their ability to manage collateral effects on communities. It underscores the difficulty of balancing redevelopment ambitions with the realities faced by residents who watched years of work change a quiet village into a symbol of disruption and risk.

Highlights

The Ravenswood case puts a human face on the costs often hidden in large public projects.