Northamptonshire MP Andrea Leadsom leading the battle for residents affected by HS2 rail link
MP ANDREA Leadsom has reassured homeowners left in limbo following the HS2 announcement that fighting for compensation is one of her top priorities.
Many south Northamptonshire residents living along the 14-mile stretch of the high speed rail line are still unclear about what they are entitled to from the Government for putting their homes under threat.
While the route from London to Birmingham has been agreed, the full list of homes which will be bought under a compulsory purchase order has not been disclosed by Government-owned developers HS2 Ltd.
At a meeting on Thursday night in Sulgrave, South Northamptonshire MP Andrea Leadsom addressed concerned residents.
Mrs Leadsom, who recently set up the HS2 Compensation and Mitigation Group to help MPs work together for better compensation packages, said: “There are many questions which people have raised with me regarding compensation that need answering.
“For those who already know they are subject to a CPO, they are in a strong position but a number are worried they will but haven’t had a letter yet.
“And there are those whose homes are slightly further away, who are not entitled to anything but are unable to sell their homes.
“I can only apologise to them for this complete upheaval to their lives and double my efforts to get decent compensation for them.”
Following the meeting the MP yesterday prepared a letter to the Secretary of State for Transport Justine Greening asking for answers.
Anti-HS2 campaigner Lizzie Williams, from Culworth, who attended the meeting, said: “The uncertainty and lack of information is absolutely disgraceful.
“We want to see the Government stop treating people as the enemy and be up front and honest with people who might be losing their homes. It needs to provide the support to people that they are entitled to.
“People want to know how long their lives are on hold for and they are not getting that information.
“Even those who already know that they are subject to a CPO don’t know if it will be happen next year or in 10 years.
“We’ve been ignored at public consultation and we’re being ignored again.”
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There are 10 comments to this article
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FleecedTaxpayer
Tuesday, February 21, 2012 at 11:34 AMI am sure they told the people along the HS1 route that their service would be fine but they ended up with a less frequent, slower and more expensive service as they try move users to fill the empty seats on HS1 trains that ended up with 13 the predicted passengers. HS2 expect there to be a saving of £5bn on classic rail services! How much better would the service for Northampton and all rail users across the country be if the 2000 x £Million every year for next 20 years was spent on rail improvements for all and not squandered on HS2 vanity project? I am glad you don’t want the state to just confiscate peoples’ homes, even China is starting to move away from that. A state rail scheme has a totally different scale of impact from ordinary development and is not subject to local planning considerations. It has been the case for decades that people affected have a right to compensation. Next month thousands of families on the routes to Leeds and Manchester will have the values of their homes decimated and if they want to sell their homes before 2035 they will be unable to repay their mortgage or buy another house and end up in thousands of pounds of debt. The scale of the effect, the length of time and in many cases the total loss of peoples life savings tied up in their home makes it a completely different case from ordinary development.
lady muck
Monday, February 20, 2012 at 08:13 AMFleeced Taxpayer...In fact, even we in Northampton are to benefit by faster and more frequent train services. In my view, the only people who should have compensation are those whose houses will have to be demolished and they are not going to be 'trapped in their hosese for the next 20years'. Nobody can buy a house and demand that there is no adjacent development or that they have compensation for the inconvenience....this is just the way of the world.
Removed by moderator
Sunday, February 19, 2012 at 11:49 PMClose down the M1 and the main West Coast Railway line at the same time?
FleecedTaxpayer
Sunday, February 19, 2012 at 11:04 PMAs things stand, there are many people who are effectively trapped in their homes for the next probably 20 years or face losing all or a substantial amount of what they have worked for all their lives as no compensation will be paid until a year after the trains run (if they ever do). HS2 is £33bn for the track, £8bn trains, £1.3?bn pa interest on the debt, £xbn associated infrastructure like Heathrow links, new tube lines etc, then £22bn operating cost less revenue from the millions of business men who want to go up and down to Birmingham and the north at great expense and time rather than use the video conferencing. So, if HS2 goes ahead the real cost will end up as being at least £50bn and probably heading towards £100bn. The vast majority of people will get no benefit or actually worse train services with slower less frequent trains. The only thing that's guaranteed is that EVERYONE will be paying for it - perhaps as much as £2000 per household by the time it is all finished,
Richx67
Sunday, February 19, 2012 at 09:19 PM"Victims"......grow a brain Lizzy and try to get a sense of proper perspective instead of your usual over the top, hysterical, idiotic rubbish.
Common sense
Sunday, February 19, 2012 at 04:51 PMHow many of her voters are actually affected within the 14 mile strip? How many people are unemployed or ill or has recently eperienced crime? Which is more important?
SteveWonder
Sunday, February 19, 2012 at 04:01 PMyes.................. none of us care
lady muck
Sunday, February 19, 2012 at 11:36 AMThe objectors have caused rthe delay so they can hardly complain that they have been left so long in suspense.
NN3man
Sunday, February 19, 2012 at 11:25 AMLack of information??? Errr no....you're having a major rail link in your posh garden! There was a line there until 1966 anyway through Culworth! As I said on a previous posting, would they rather a 6 lane motorway?
lizzylouise
Sunday, February 19, 2012 at 11:19 AMPhoto of Andrea at this meeting on here https:www.facebook.comgroupsVictimsofHS2
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