26.08.16
HS2 considering future of ‘no prior knowledge’ compensation requirement
Homeowners affected by HS2 may be entitled to compensation even if they bought their property knowing it could be affected by the high-speed rail project, the chairman of HS2 has said.
As part of ongoing efforts to address concerns that HS2 is failing to engage with residents along the rail line, Deborah Fazan, the residents’ commissioner, recommended that its compensation arrangements be reviewed.
In particular, she said that a requirement for residents to prove they had ‘no prior knowledge’ of the scheme when they bought their property, intended to prevent the scheme being exploited, was leading to a lower-than-expected rate of compensation being approved.
In his response to Fazan’s report, David Higgins, the chair of HS2 Ltd, said: “It is a complex issue but we are having ongoing discussions with the mortgage industry and the DfT to see if the ‘no prior knowledge’ criterion can be improved in future.”
Fazan also criticised the scheme for not doing enough to engage with residents, with no outreach meetings planned beyond April this year.
Higgins said that a new awareness-raising campaign, launched this month, has made contact with over 100,000 properties through leaflets, posters, Facebook advertising and stakeholder briefings.
He said HS2 would apply what it had learned from the campaign to future outreach efforts.
Higgins concluded: “It has been a positive period of growth and evolution for our community engagement activity, not least for property-related issues. At the same time, we recognise that more can always be done to help communities affected by HS2 in preparing for its potential impact and accessing the support available.
“The scale and range of our engagement programme will need to continue its upward trajectory as we approach Royal Assent and beyond, and we welcome the challenge.”
(Image c. Rui Vieira from PA Wire)
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