High Speed 2 (HS2) is a new high speed railway currently under construction. It will connect London and Birmingham, with services continuing on to Manchester, the North West and Scotland using the conventional railway network.
The HS2 project has reduced significantly since it was first announced in 2013 when it was originally envisaged to split into eastern and western branches north of Birmingham. The eastern branch was due to connect to Leeds whilst the western branch would have had connections to the West Coast Main Line at Crewe and south of Wigan, with a branch to a terminus in Manchester.
Although land take has reduced substantially as a consequence of the route being curtailed, there remains a significant number of properties and land holdings which will be affected. Compensation can be complex and therefore it is recommended that professional advice is obtained.
The compensation you are entitled to depends on the location of your property, in particular which area or zone the property falls into. Generally, the following applies:
Source: www.hs2.org.uk
The HS2 Property Scheme maps are publicly accessible to confirm if your property falls into any of the zones. The zone within which the property falls determines which compensation scheme you may be eligible for.
If the property is in a Safeguarded Area:
If the property is in a Homeowner Payment Zone:
If the property is in a Rural Support Zone:
If the property is above a HS2 Tunnel:
You may be entitled to claim compensation if the value of your property is negatively affected as a direct result of the operation of HS2. This is a claim referred to as a ‘Part 1 Claim’, under Part 1 of the Land Compensation Act 1973. However, this may only be claimed 12 months after completion of the route.
