A5 road upgrade: Ulster Unionists say farmers 'under siege' as land taken with 'not a single penny' paid

Farming in Tyrone is now “under siege” due to the A5 road project with land already vested and boundaries redrawn – but not “a single penny” has been paid out those affected, the Ulster Unionist Party has said.

The party says that landowners deserve “certainty and straight answers” from the Stormont department in charge of the project – as well as from Land and Property Services.

Sinn Fein Infrastructure Minister Kimmins pictured with Seamus Keenan, DfI Roads, at the A5. She said she is keen to see the A5 scheme progress without further delays. Photo: Dept of Infrastructure.

placeholder image — Sinn Fein Infrastructure Minister Kimmins pictured with Seamus Keenan, DfI Roads, at the A5. She said she is keen to see the A5 scheme progress without further delays. Photo: Dept of Infrastructure.

Speaking ahead of yet another legal hearing on the A5 Western Transport Corridor next week, Diana Armstrong MLA and Lord Elliott of Ballinamallard have said the the Department for Infrastructure and Land & Property Services (LPS) need to provide certainty for those affected.

They say landowners have yet to even be told what valuation the department is putting on their land, despite it already having been taken and trees and hedges removed.

Infrastructure Minister Liz Kimmins visiting the A5 project earlier this week.

The Northern Ireland Executive gave the green light for a long-delayed upgrade to the A5 back in October, with preparatory work to turn the road into a dual carriageway along the Strabane to Ballygawley stretch already underway.

Ms Armstrong said, “Over the years multiple Ministers of Infrastructure have claimed the A5 is a priority for them to deliver, with the hope to prevent further tragic road accidents that have claimed too many lives.

“These are the certainties that we know of, yet for landowners and the local farming community, their only certainty is the fact that their land has been vested off them. They can see their new boundary fences on lost land; they see their hedges removed and they see their trees cut down, yet they haven’t yet seen any compensation.

“The uncertainty has caused significant apprehension amongst those affected. The Department and LPS have yet to pay a single penny following the vesting of the A5 Western Corridor on 25th November 2024.

“The Finance Minister claims compensation is based on market values as of the vesting date, yet his department will not confirm what the market value for agricultural land in County Tyrone was at the time.

“Landowners deserve certainty and shouldn’t be treated like a by-product of this process. Their lands are not just properties; they are the lifeblood of the rural economy and the heritage of the community.

“Regardless of the outcome of the legal challenge, acknowledgment must be given to those whose lands have been vested to make this process possible”.

UUP peer, Lord Elliott of Ballinamallard, said farming at present “is under siege” and farmers across West & South Tyrone are on the frontline.

“The A5 project will be devasting for the farming community across County Tyrone, with over 3,000 acres of quality land sacrificed for this single road. I have met countless farmers and landowners affected by the vesting orders”, he said.

Lord Elliott said contractors have moved onsite and begun “slashing hedgerows to the stumps and cutting large trees” but said farmers have yet to receive “any financial payment, indeed land valuation hasn’t even been offered to them”.

“In fact, the irony of such a road expansion, is that of the environmental impact.

“Farmers face an unfair focus when it comes to emissions. I assume the A5 stands in contrast to current Executive commitments to Climate Change”, Lord Elliott said.

In a joint statement, the Department for Infrastructure and Department for Finance said: “As part of the vesting process all eligible landowners will have received correspondence setting out the vesting and compensation process and the opportunities for them to have their queries answered.

“Over 100 face-to-face meetings have been held to date with those affected. The feedback from these meetings has been positive. This process is being conducted in an open and transparent manner, in line with the normal process. The Department for Infrastructure is open to the receipt of claims and is working in partnership with the Department of Finance in determining and paying for the loss of land. However, only a small number of claims from landowners and their agents have been received at this point in time.”