The distraught family owners of a famous Birmingham scrapyard business have been given just weeks to move out by HS2 - or risk arrest.
The sudden eviction notice landed on the desk of H W Taroni (Metals) Ltd just as the Government announced an independent review into the future of the high speed rail scheme.
But owner Russell Taroni warned: "We will not just walk away. They can bring whoever they like to get rid of us, the police, whoever, we will not be moving until they pay us what they owe us. We are fighting for the future of our workforce.
"They (HS2) just do what they want, pay when it suits them, and we are left to suffer.
"They have acted like Nazis - just taking what they want and leaving us with the consequences."
The company, based on the same site in Aston for 67 years, has been locked in a wrangle with HS2 for the past five years over the compensation needed to fund a move to new premises - with Mr Taroni forced to remortgage his family home and put his livelihood in jeopardy to try to keep the firm afloat.
The eviction notice is the final straw, said Mr Taroni.
"We have just received a letter from HS2 telling us to vacate by October 30th - if we don't go we will be trespassing and will be arrested," he said.
"This is the site my family have built up from nothing to a £10million annual turnover. We will not just walk away.
"They can bring whoever they like to get rid of us, the police, whoever, we will not be moving."
He added that it has been a wrench to plan to leave, but the company had found alternative premises and have spent more than £3 million so far getting it ready for business.
He said: "But HS2 have so far only paid us a tiny fraction of the compensation we are owed and we just cannot afford to finish the work on the new place without around another £1million. We are owed in excess of £2m and that's rising all the time."
Mr Taroni was speaking on the day the Government confirmed details of a wide ranging review into the rail scheme.
The review panel, which will include West Midlands Mayor Andy Street, will consider “whether and how HS2 should proceed” - which means it could potentially conclude that the project should be scrapped.
A clearly distraught Mr Taroni, 58, said the impact of the HS2 project on his business and his life had been catastrophic.
"I have had five years of stress and worrry, waking up in a sweat terrified at whether the business will survive," he said.
"We have had to borrow to pay for the cost of setting up a new premises but the new place is still some way off being ready and we desperately need HS2 to pay up to cover the extra costs we need.
"But we have been treated appallingly. It's a national disgrace."
Added Russell: “I have spent 42 years in this business. I have worked all my life to get what I’ve got here.
“I want to see my lads work for the business for more than 40 years, like I’ve done. I want to see the Taronis have a party to celebrate 100 years.
“I won’t see that not happen on my watch – but this is our life. It’s in our blood.”
The firm, in Aston Church Road, employs more than 30 staff including Russell's sons and daughter, who will be the fourth generation to run the firm.
Son Richard, speaking earlier this year, said: "We are now at a critical stage to secure our future and keep the homes over the heads of everyone employed here."
Liam Byrne MP (Lab. Birmingham Hodge Hill) has been supporting the Taronis' bid for time and resources to fund their move to alternative premises.
He has previously said: “Businesses like H W Taroni can’t just pack up and move overnight. Relocation of a firm like this requires a huge amount of planning and preparation to ensure it goes smoothly.”
Mr Byrne added: “Even a successful, long-standing family business like H W Taroni has been struggling for many years now to deal with the implications of a Compulsory Purchase Order (CPO) from HS2 . They care simply about protecting their livelihoods, but cashflow is the lifeblood of every organisation.
“I certainly have concerns about how difficult the situation is – for not just the Taronis, but more widely with major infrastructure schemes like HS2.
“Businesses such as H W Taroni need to be better supported by the CPO legislative framework.”
The number-crunching involved in the colossal operation is staggering. Thirty workers deal with 1,000 tons of scrap each week. The company had a £10 million turnover last year.
Six huge articulated lorries, cramped with crushed metal, leave the yard each day. The firm, which also tackles household waste, has a 90 per cent recycling rate.
A second Birmingham business has faced its own wrangle with HS2 over compensation - and more than a year after moving onto a new site is still waiting for its full agreed compensation.
RNA Automation, which employs 40 staff in Birmingham and 20 more elsewhere, operated from its factory in Castle Bromwich for 32 years but was told it needed to relocate because it was on the route of the HS2 line through Erdington.
It then took more than two years to find suitable alternative premises and make the move, at significant cost, said managing director Stuart Brettell.
"We were just about able to manage, but less healthy companies would have found it very difficult."
The firm's journey with HS2 goes back to 2012, when it first learned it was likely to be on the line.
"It has been like Brexit - we knew it was coming, but we have been left in limbo for a long time. The factory became tired and in need of investment," said Mr Brettell.
"We eventually got a notice to quit two years ago but finding suitable premises was not straightforward."
The company has since had to fight for its compensation payout from HS2, with some funds still awaited.
The intervention of Erdington MP Jack Dromey, who made representations to the minister involved on the company's behalf, resulted finally in a release of some of the funds earlier this year.
Mr Brettell said: “It was quite an upheaval to move after so many years and we are grateful to Jack for his invaluable support, which ensured that the business and our skilled staff have remained in the Birmingham area.”
HS2
The company has stayed in the Castle Bromwich area, moving just over half a mile. Jack Dromey MP said: “RNA plays a vital role in the supply chain for manufacturing in the West Midlands. Companies such as Jaguar Land Rover benefit from access to advanced and high-quality products from local companies that they can rely on. That’s why it was so important we kept RNA in the area. One of Birmingham and Britain’s best, RNA remains at the heart of Erdington.”
Mr Brettell added: "HS2 is vital for this region. We need increased capacity desperately. It is frustrating that London has seen incredible investment in transport, yet whenever other parts of the country will benefit the talk always turns to costs."
An HS2 Ltd spokesperson said: “We fully understand that the compulsory purchase of any property or land can be disruptive, and often distressing, for the owners. We are committed to paying fair and reasonable compensation to affected parties and we seek a fair deal for both the claimant and the taxpayer in all cases.
“We have been engaging with HW Taroni (Metals) Ltd and RNA Automation for several years to support their relocation to ensure they can both continue to trade in Birmingham.
“The compulsory purchase process puts the onus on the individual to provide the supporting evidence and documentation to substantiate their claim for compensation. HW Taroni (Metals) Ltd have access to professional advisors who will be advising them on their legal and compensation position, and the reasonable costs of those advisors are paid for by HS2 Ltd. We made an advance payment in relation to the land already taken and will continue to work with them to review their claims in accordance with the requirements of the Compensation Code.
“In the case of RNA Automation, we are pleased to have been able to support their relocation to a nearby site and made an advance payment following detailed review. We look forward to them completing relocation to their new site and receiving their final claim in the near future.”
