The starting pistol has finally been fired on HS2, the high-speed rail link from London to the north.
It is now full steam ahead since the High Speed Rail (London – West Midlands) hybrid Bill – essentially the planning application for HS2 – secured overwhelming support from MPs and Lords and gained Royal Assent on 23 February after three years of Parliamentary scrutiny.
Initial works begin imminently on Phase 1 from London to Birmingham, causing the Government to launch schemes totalling &70 million to recompense affected communities along the route.
Meanwhile, the safeguarded route for Phase 2a identifies swathes of land and property from Birmingham to Crewe facing a presumption for development.
Also we now know the revised proposed route for Phase 2b, the least advanced of the new lines, heralding potentially five years of uncertainty for the East Midlands and South Yorkshire before compulsory purchase orders are served with the prospect of compensation claims.
The Government says the new line will increase capacity on our railways, connect the biggest cities, generate jobs and stimulate economic growth.
Transport Secretary Chris Grayling MP says HS2 will be the world’s most advanced passenger railway and the backbone of our rail network, creating around 25,000 jobs during construction and supporting growth in the wider economy, worth an additional 100,000 jobs.
From 2026 tens of thousands of passengers will be using high speed trains every day between London and Birmingham and onwards to Manchester, Glasgow, Liverpool, Preston and Wigan.
From 2033, the high-speed network will go into the centres of Manchester, Leeds and Sheffield with onward services to Darlington, Newcastle and Edinburgh. Once complete, 351 miles of new track will link towns and cities. The government has previously introduced a comprehensive package of compensation and assistance for those directly affected by HS2.
In addition, the Homeowner Payment scheme is available to property owners in rural areas who live between 120 and 300 metres from the HS2 line wherever it is not in a deep tunnel, with applications for &7,500, &15,000 or &22,500, depending on how close they live to the proposed line.
Two funds, worth &40 million, are now open for bids – the Community and Environment Fund and the Business and Local Economy Fund – allocated at a regional level.
And a further &30 million will go towards road safety schemes in areas not currently accustomed to construction traffic to help fund a legacy of improvements for areas adversely affected by Phase 1 traffic.
We have worked extensively already on Phases 1 and 2a with blight notices, exceptional hardship / need to sell claims, impact assessment surveys and land interest questionnaires, survey access negotiations and licences, negotiating assurances on accommodation works and petitioning.
We are a national firm of 450 chartered surveyors, commercial property experts and town planners across 16 offices, a core team 50 specialising in compulsory purchase orders and compensation. Unusually, we have CPO knowledge and experience and property expertise across commercial, residential, agricultural, development land, renewables and utilities sectors.
We can optimise land and property owners’, tenants’ and occupiers’ claim positions and negotiate compensation claims and route amendments.
In short, we know the legislation and compensation regime and have a range of experts in valuation, claims management, dispute resolution and lands tribunal to help guide you. For further information, you can email me here
John Ikin – Partner