HS2 compensation scheme branded inadequate (From The Oxford Times)
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HS2 compensation scheme branded inadequate
11:00am Friday 26th October 2012 in News
A COMPENSATION scheme for households affected by the planned HS2 high speed railway line does not go far enough, campaigners say.
Yesterday, the Department for Transport unveiled a compensation scheme for residents and businesses that will be affected by the £33bn London to Birmingham rail link which would cut across north-east Oxfordshire near Finmere and Mixbury, close to the Northamptonshire border.
As part of the proposed scheme, those living within 60 metres of the line will get the market value of their property plus an extra 10 per cent in compensation up to £47,000, extended to 120 metres in rural areas.
But Bernie Douglas, chairman of Villages of Oxfordshire Opposed to HS2 (VoxOpp) said: “Having had a first look at it, I think it’s a cynical public relations exercise.
“We are extremely disappointed. This is not what we were promised by the Government. We were promised no-one would lose out because of HS2.
“If you live more than 120 metres from the line you can expect to lose 15 per cent of your house value.”
Comments(5)
EMBOX1
says...
12:21pm Fri 26 Oct 12
Most people's homes are a big part of their pension. I would love to see a minister's house demolished in protest and see how they feel.
Money cannot replace the memories inside four walls. Births, marriages, deaths, all the ups and downs of life are in those homes and they stand to be knocked down. We should be paying double the market rate, at a bare minimum.
I love railways, but HS2 is badly flawed.
King Joke
says...
8:11pm Sat 27 Oct 12
kingsnewclothes
says...
4:47pm Sun 28 Oct 12
King Joke, you must be having a joke. Nobody asked for double, a few hundred people have been awarded a surplus of up to 10 percent to cover stamp duty, legal and removal costs and the fact that they are being turfed out. Total cost of this bit £ 15 million out of compensation cost of £ 1 billion. It is a soundbite gimmick to distract from the fact that anybody more than 120 meters from the centre of the line is very unlikely to get any compensation at all.
This is NOT fair compensation.
Simon Burns gave the game away when he said he had balanced the needs of local communities with the needs of taxpayers.
It's very simple, if the government can't afford fair compensation it can't afford HS2
King Joke
says...
2:07pm Tue 30 Oct 12
thamestrains says...
11:59am Fri 26 Oct 12