Department for Transport written statement – made at on 26 May 2016.
I am today announcing to the House the Government’s package of measures to provide assistance to owner occupiers along the line of route for Phase 2a of the High Speed 2 project (West Midlands to Crewe).
This announcement responds to the public consultation the Government conducted from November 2015 to February 2016 on the long-term property compensation and assistance schemes for Phase 2a. A Command Paper setting out the Government’s detailed response to the consultation and way forward has been placed in the Libraries of the Houses of Parliament today.
Following detailed consideration, the Government is to implement the following long-term property compensation and assistance schemes for Phase 2a which are based upon schemes already in place for Phase One (London to West Midlands) of the route. They will apply with immediate effect and replace the temporary Exceptional Hardship Scheme that has been in place for Phase 2a since 2013
Further measures will be provided in rural areas where the line runs on the surface in recognition that the short-term effects on communities can reasonably be expected to be much more marked in these areas. This Rural Support Zone (RSZ) will cover the area outside safeguarding up to 120 metres from the centre line of the railway. The RSZ will run from the connection with Phase One near Fradley in the West Midlands to the A500 south of Crewe. The schemes available in the RSZ are:
I also confirm that we are going to make a number of changes to the discretionary property assistance schemes which will apply to Phase One and Phase 2a. They will be implemented with immediate effect. Key changes include:
I believe these refined schemes demonstrate our continued commitment to provide a package of compensation and assistance schemes for owner-occupiers along the HS2 route that far exceeds what is required by law in recognition that HS2 is an exceptional project. I am confident the schemes we now have in place represent the best possible balance between supporting affected communities and providing value for money for the taxpayer.