The UK Transport Secretary, Mark Harper, has confirmed that those who lost their homes and businesses along the HS2 rail link’s scrapped northern route will not receive further compensation. While admitting to the difficulty of compulsory purchase, Harper believes that those affected have already been paid at market value for their properties. The government has already spent over £423m on buying properties and land for the route, and will recoup some of that money by selling this land. It has not been confirmed what will happen to the land from which people have been displaced.
However, many affected farmers say they have paid additional costs for the uncertainty that came with HS2. Farmers along the route are calling for compensation, stating that living in uncertainty has been both expensive and stressful. John Barnes, a farmer who had his family farm bought, highlighted the effect of the decision on himself and his family, stating “we’ve had 11 years of a pretty difficult time”. Barnes farms in Gloucestershire after his old farm was taken over. While he said he would be interested in buying back what was left of his farm, it would not be a farm any more.
Compulsory purchase is a legal procedure whereby governments or local authorities can force a property owner to sell up. In the case of HS2, there were different levels of compensation available, including a “home loss” payment, for those homes marked and considered for development. HS2’s cancelled plan cost £98bn for the UK and caused controversy from the beginning. The project aimed to connect London to the West Midlands and, ultimately, Manchester and Leeds, sparking claims of environmental destruction, soaring costs, and property damage
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