Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander announced in the House of Commons this week she had formally lifted safeguarding protections on most of the property which the high speed rail route would have passed through in the now scrapped section from the West Midlands to Leeds.
Alexander said the properties would be offered back to their former owners at the current market value. Those not bought back would be offered on the open market from early 2026.
“The priority now must be to claw back as much money as possible from this disastrous scheme.”
The original HS2 project was set to connect London with cities in the Midlands and North of England (Photo: Christopher Furlong/Getty)After the disposal of some property since then through resale, the net spend has come to £167million.
These buy-ups were not done through Compulsory Purchase Orders, as Phase 2b East legislation was never introduced.
What’s left of HS2
This meant qualifying owner-occupiers of a property along or near to the proposed route could serve a Blight Notice and apply to the Secretary of Statefor Transport to purchase their property.
Some land around Leeds station will also be retained “to allow for potential enhancements to the existing station”, the government has said.
How much has been spent on property purchases for HS2 over all?
HS2 Ltd has confirmed to The i Paper the amount spent on purchasing property for the now abandoned Phase 2 to date is £633million, with a net figure of £631million after taking into account subsequent disposal of properties.
In June last year, HS2 Ltd assessed the cost for the line between London and Birmingham would be up to £66bn.
Former Prime Minster Rishi Sunak announced in October 2023 that Phase Two of HS2 would be scrapped.
Some land around Leeds station will also be retained “to allow for potential enhancements to the existing station”, the government has said.
Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander announced the safeguarding protections had been lifted (Photo: Chris Radburn – WPA Pool/Getty)What has the Department for Transport said?
Heidi Alexander said this would “remove uncertainty” for those living along the route and the plan was now to “dispose of land and property in a sensible and sensitive way”.
“Safeguarding along the former Phase 2b Western Leg (between Crewe and Manchester) is not being changed as part of this, and an update on future plans for safeguarding on this section will be provided in due course alongside broader plans for Northern Powerhouse Rail.
“I have also today closed the Rural Support Zone, Express Purchase, Rent Back, and the Need to Sell property schemes along the former Phase 2b Eastern Leg.
“Removing safeguarding along the majority of the former HS2 Phase 2b Eastern Leg means we are now able to initiate a programme to dispose of over 550 properties on the former Eastern Leg that are no longer required.
“We will dispose of land and property in a sensible and sensitive way, ensuring value for money for the taxpayer and avoiding disruption to local property markets.
“I have deposited the safeguarding directions and relevant documents in the House libraries.”
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