High Speed 2 consultation

There is already a system of statutory compensation that would apply to land and property owners affected by High Speed 2 (HS2). HS2 recognise that the long construction period for phase 1 of HS2 will have negative impacts on housing markets, and that property blight is typically worst during this stage of a project.  The property and compensation proposals are therefore intended to be more generous than the statutory code.

The proposals cover the key areas set out below.

Advanced purchase

The property and compensation proposals include a series of different measures aimed at helping people in different circumstances who may be affected by the project, including a streamlined system of advanced purchase to simplify the process for property owners in the safeguarded area (see below) and also provide greater certainty for those property owners closest to the route.

This proposal is intended to make it easier and quicker for people within the safeguarded area to serve a blight notice and have the government buy their property.  Under the proposal blight notices would be accepted from all eligible property owners, even if their property is not required to construct the route.

Voluntary purchase zone

HS2 intend to introduce a voluntary purchase zone (VPZ) to provide greater certainty and flexibility for those property owners in rural areas that are near to the line of route but outside of the safeguarded area.

This proposal would create a zone beyond the safeguarded area in which people could also ask government to buy their properties, though without the additional compensation available to property owners inside the safeguarded area.

The VPZ would only apply to rural areas of the route. It would not cover the area inside of the M25 near London, or for the section of track towards central Birmingham.  HS2 are of the view that the VPZ should not be extended to urban areas (like Ealing borough) as they do not believe that the impacts of the route will be as widely felt in these areas.

Sale and rent back scheme

A sale and rent back scheme would allow eligible homeowners to sell their homes to government but remain living in them as tenants until the properties are required for the railway.

The scheme would only be available to owners of residential properties that would need to be demolished in order to construct the route.

Long term hardship scheme

A long term hardship scheme would help those outside of the safeguarded area (see below) or voluntary purchase zone who have a need to move during the development of HS2 but are unable to sell their home at an un-blighted market rate.  The long term hardship scheme builds on the current Exceptional Hardship Scheme and takes into account the extended period required to build HS2.

One key difference is that applicants would not need to demonstrate an immediate need to sell their property.  HS2 have stated they intend to make it easier for people to re-apply to the scheme if they have done so unsuccessfully on a previous occasion.

Properties above tunnels

HS2 are confident that the HS2 tunnels will not have negative impacts on the people and properties living above them, but they recognise that people are concerned by this aspect of the work. They therefore propose to pay for before and after surveys of all ‘at risk’ properties above tunnels so that any impacts can be clearly identified.

Settlement deeds will be offered to all qualifying properties. These would provide a guarantee that government is responsible for resolving any issues caused by tunnelling. Government will also pay for the right to build beneath land owned by individual property owners. These are known as ‘subsoil rights.’

Tunnelling is not expected to begin until 2017 and HS2 do not intend to begin purchasing subsoil rights until 2015.