HS2 Property Consultation
ACT NOW BEFORE IT IS TOO LATE
– You could lose out if you don not respond by 4th December
– What should you do?
You will have seen the very negative press that HS2 is receiving. It gives us all hope that politicians will finally see the light and cancel it. However, today the politicians are still resolved to push ahead with this huge waste of money. They have already voted on the Paving Bill and we fully expect the Hybrid Bill to be deposited by the end of November. We await the outcome of the Supreme court hearing which may or may not cause some delay. So we have to proceed on the basis that it will go ahead and seek the best compensation for the people of Wendover, and the best mitigation of its impacts
Given our win in the Judicial Review HS2 Ltd. and the Department for Transport are having to re-run the property compensation consultation. Everyone needs to respond. The closing date is the 4th December 2013. If you have not responded yet then please do so now before it is too late.
What has changed since the last Consultation ? Not much.
There is still a 60 metre Safeguarded Area, either side of the centre of the track. The previous 120 metre Voluntary Purchase Zone has been replaced by a Rural Support Zone (RSZ), whose boundary is to be determined. The actual method of compensation could be either a Property Bond or Voluntary Purchase. It is not expected that this zone will be materially larger than the previous zone, so very few homes will be eligible for compensation. After that there is the Long Term Hardship Scheme for owner occupiers who are “likely to be substantially adversely affected by the construction or operation” of the route, and bought their property before HS2 was first announced in March 2010. Failing that you can claim under the Statutory Part 1 Compensation, for the reduction in value of your property caused by the physical effect of the operation of HS2 (but not any effect on you personally). This can be claimed only after HS2 has been running for a year, ie not before 2027 at the earliest 14 years away.
We believe it is grossly unfair that the people of Wendover are being asked to pay for HS2 twice – once as taxpayers, and secondly as a community which will suffer property blight and construction disturbance. If the government can afford to build HS2 then they can afford to properly compensate people and communities impacted.
You can respond: using the official paper form (call 0300 123 1102 or go to www.hs2.org.uk for a copy)
online at www.hs2.org.uk
by email to 2013hs2propertyconsultation@dialoguebydesign.com
by postcard (which were distributed to you a couple of weeks ago)
by letter to Freepost RTET-YGJB-GUAH
Property Compensation Consultation 2103
PO Box 70178
London WC1A 9HS
You must give your name in your reply. All members of your household can reply, with no age limit, but only one reply per person
Remember, ACT NOW!