Questions Raised by Marston Parish Meeting for Cllr R Sutherland to Pose to Hs2

Questions raised by Marston Parish meeting for Cllr R Sutherland to pose to hs2

Business case

-Can we have a copy of the business case for Phase 2?

Yes, hard copies are available from DfT publications (0300 123 1102). Alternatively, you can download copies from

-Does the Business case take account of jobs that are going to be lost as a result of the scheme?

The HS2 Economic Case is not based on estimates of numbers of jobs created or lost, but rather captures the expected net productivity impacts on the economy.However, the effects on employment, both positive and negative, have been reported in the Sustainability Summary.

-Does the Business case take account of future communication technology improvements?
Yes - the influence of technology is captured within our forecasts of travel demand. The exponential improvement over recent decades in communications technologies has not led, as some predicted, to declining demand for travel but has happened concurrently with an era of rapid growth in travel.

-Does the Business case take account of loss of agricultural land when our country needs greater improved food production?
The Government is clear that a full range of potential impacts should be taken into account, including those which may be driven by changes in land use as a result of new or improved transport infrastructure.

The potential impact on agricultural land is set out in the Sustainability Summary:

-Does the Business case take account that people work on trains and therefore the time benefit is minimised?
This is a complex subject that has been the subject of much scrutiny since the proposals for HS2 were first announced in 2010. The DfT has reviewed the evidence on the value of business time savings. It does indicate that the case for HS2 is not significantly sensitive to changes in methodology in this area, when a range of potential effects are taken into account. Its conclusions are summarised in the The Economic Case for HS2: Value for Money Statement which can be found here:

Compensation / compulsory purchase order

-Can we have a plan and timeline of the consultation exercise?

The Government is bringing forward the public consultation on the routes north of Birmingham to start later this year – and this will give everyone a chance to have their say before any decision is taken on where the line will finally run.

The consultation plans are currently in draft but a programme will be issued in preparation for the consultation period.

-What is the current proposed compensation package and when will it be confirmed?

The Government is currently consulting on a discretionary purchase scheme, the HS2 Phase Two Exceptional Hardship Scheme (EHS), for owner-occupiers whose properties may be affected by Phase Two of HS2 and have a pressing need to sell their property. The EHS is intended as an interim measure which would remain in place until such time as statutory compensation measures can be applied. Further information about the EHS including the consultation document and options for responding can be found here:

-What is the definitive date for release of details of the compensation scheme?

There is no definitive date. The project is not yet at the stage at which land around the line of route for Phase Two can be safeguarded and a longer-term compensation scheme brought forward. The Government is yet to consult on the line of route for Phase Two, and then more detailed engineering and environmental work would be required ahead of safeguarding taking place. When a decision is taken on the final route, new arrangements would be introduced for the Government to buy properties seriously affected by the high speed rail proposals and which the owner wished to sell. So the EHS will not be the only opportunity for affected property owners who were looking to sell their properties in the medium to longer term.

-Who will the property bond, if it exists, be available to?

No other compensation measures have been published at this stage.

-Will the property bond give the full value of the house pre announcement?

See above.

-Why couldn’t the compensation guidelines be published at the same time as the initial preferred route?

Phase Two of the project is not yet at the stage at which land around the proposed line of route can be safeguarded. The Government is yet to consult on the line of route for Phase Two, and then more detailed engineering and environmental work would be required ahead of safeguarding taking place. Based on the timescales of Phase One, it is proposed that the Phase Two EHS runs until the end of 2016.

-Why have compulsory purchase orders [CPOs] been sent out so soon?

No CPOs have been sent out.The Secretary of State has written to property owners on or near the initial preferred route. If the exact plans put forward in the Phase 2 proposals are approved (a decision subject to the outcome of the public consultation and the approval of the route by an Act of Parliament), these properties may be subject to a compulsory purchase order – an order that would give HS2 Ltd, in future years, legal powers to acquire property.

-If a property is under a compulsory purchase order what can residents do as they will be unable to sell their property?See above.

-Is there an option for homes affected but not identified for demolition to be sold to HS2 and rented back by the homeowner?

Following public consultation, the Government will decide its proposed route for Phase Two and will seek the necessary powers from Parliament to build this part of HS2. Prior to seeking these powers the route would be safeguarded, which in turn triggers statutory blight arrangements and we expect the EHS would close at this point. Such arrangements would be put in place following a decision by the Secretary of State on the route of Phase Two. This decision is currently expected to be made by 2014. Therefore, you only need to apply for assistance under the EHS if you urgently need to sell before that time.

Statutory blight arrangements enable those persons with a qualifying interest in that property to serve the Secretary of State with a “blight notice” where the Secretary of State may consider buying the property at its unblighted full market value.

-Would the gain on any land sold to HS2 be subject to capital gains tax?
That would depend on the individual’s circumstances.

-What if any residents bought properties in need of renovation and intend to spend substantial amounts on these properties. Will they only receive compensation on the original purchase price?
No decision has been made on the compensation that will be available. However, under the current Exceptional Hardship Scheme (EHS) and the proposed compensation schemes for Phase One, a residential property owner would receive the un-blighted open market value of their property. The proposal for the Phase two EHS scheme that is currently out to consultation is that successful applicants would have their property purchased by the Government at 100% of its unblighted open market value.

-If the garden or part of the garden is lost to the rail construction will they obtain a compulsory purchase order?
No decision has been made on the compensation that will be available. Compulsory purchase powers for HS2 will only be available after the hybrid bill has achieved Royal Assent.

-How is it proposed to calculate the market value of a property? Are HS2 going to perform valuations on all properties in the next few months or should property holders do so?
No decision has been made on the compensation that will be available or how it will operate. Under the proposed EHS scheme, the market value would be assessed using two independent valuers, chosen from a pool of Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors qualified valuation firms who have expertise in the specific property type and coverage in the local area. The Government would pay for these valuations and would also, after acceptance of an offer to purchase, pay for a building survey, a title check and an agreed fixtures and fittings list. The property owner would select one of these valuers from the pool while HS2 Ltd would choose the other. The final valuation would be based on the average of the two figures. If the figures differed by more than 10%, the applicant would choose another valuer from the pool to conduct a third valuation. The offer made would then be based on the average of the closest two valuation figures.

-People have had varying advice about how many independent valuations they should get on their homes. Please could you clarify and will HS2 recompense them for the cost?
HS2 Ltd does not advise people to have independent valuations carried out on their properties and would not reimburse any costs. The proposed assessment of market value is outlined above.

Route and track

-Why was the initial proposed route for Staffordshire abandoned which followed the existing rail track through Trent Valley?

The Phase 1 route option that followed the Trent Valley rail corridor was not possible as it did not align with route options running through the Birmingham area and linking with the Interchange station.

The Phase 2 route options presented in the March Options report includes one option (option number HSM01) that is essentially following the West Coast Main Line route, but taking account of avoiding the main conurbations and sustainability features that have built up around the railway since the 1850’s.All the optioneering information is on the website in the March 2012 report to Government.

-Why has the MOD route been discounted?

Since our report to Government in March 2012, route refinement has been carried out to give assurances to the Environment Agency about avoiding impacts on Pasturefields and to further mitigate the impacts on residential areas. The consultation later this year will give the opportunity for people to give feedback and suggestions about the route.

-While HS2 are developing the infrastructure for the railway how much will it impact on more than the 120m either side of the tracks?

It is too early to be precise about the exact route corridor that would be affected, as this will be subject to public consultation and subsequent detailed design work.

-How wide is the rail corridor including cuttings?

The width of the corridor varies depending on the extent of cutting or embankment but assuming a flat alignment, fence to fence is around 20-22m which is slightly wider than a normal railway. Cutting or embankment will require more land to achieve the gradients, depending on the line depth.

-What will happen to the land which has been bought either side of the railway but not used for track or embankment?
Land bought but not used for HS2 would ultimately be sold on.

-How wide is the safeguarding zone? Where distances are quoted with regards to the distance a property is away from the railway is it measured from the centre of the track or the safeguarding zone?
It is too early to be precise about the exact route corridor that would be affected, as this will be subject to public consultation and subsequent design work. As a guide, for phase 1, the proposed safeguarding area is generally 60 metres wide from the centre of the track, though it varies in some areas, for example where additional land may be required in order to construct the railway.

Marston specific

-Would it be possible to consider the possible benefits of keeping the railway at ground level across Marston Lane and either close that section of the lane or use a level crossing?

The route choice in this area, as elsewhere, was derived from a balance of passenger demand, cost, engineering and the impacts on the environment and communities. No decision on the route will be taken until after the completion of public consultation, which will start later this year. This will give everyone a chance to have their say.

The high speed rail safety case does not allow level crossings.

-It is possible at this stage to get an idea of the frequency of trains on the route through Marston?

HS2 Ltd has prepared an indicative service specification for the network showing the potential number of trains that could be run between each station per hour. This specification is purely indicative at this stage. Potential service patterns will continue to be revised over the coming years until the lines open as we continue to test and refine options for HS2.

The current indicative specification can be found in this document:

Train specific

-Are high speed trains noisier than a standard Virgin train?
It is not possible to directly compare the noise from HS2 trains with trains on the existing West Coast Main Line. However, as a guide modern day high speed trains are quieter that the current Eurostar trains, and we are in discussion with the rolling stock industry and railway industry experts to determine what noise reduction measures can be introduced to all trains procured for HS2. The resulting assumptions and/or envisaged mitigation will be included in the Environmental Impact Assessment.

Other

-What are the time scales for HS2 enquiries to be answered?

20 working days, although we will endeavour to answer enquiries sooner when we can.

-Eurostar not meeting capacity levels to date and still in debt, M6 Toll still in debt and losing money, high speed rail in Holland not working to full capacity and in debt – why is HS2 going to be any different?
The central benefit of a national high speed rail network would be to provide the extra rail capacity this country needs; in doing so it would reduce journey times between cities substantially. Tackling capacity issues was not one of the main reasons for building the Dutch line. Instead the objectives there were on modal shift, improved mobility and an economic stimulus for the Netherlands. In terms of Eurostar, demand forecasting for HS1 was significantly more challenging than for HS2, as it was providing a completely new international service and so there was not an established evidence base to use. By contrast, demand to travel between Britain’s major cities by rail already exists.

-Who pays for any judicial review?
The general rule is that the party losing a substantive claim for judicial review will be ordered to pay the costs of the other parties. However, the Judge considering the matter has discretion to deal with the issue of costs as he/she considers appropriate in all of the circumstances. More information can be found at:

Questions raised by Marston Parish meeting for Cllr R Sutherland to pose to SBC

-Can we rely on engineers / land agents / people with the requisite technical knowledge from SBC and SCC to look into other options with the route e.g. diverting the route / changing the height of the route?

Answer = Stafford Borough Council has no engineering, land surveying or qualified members of staff with detailed technical knowledge. Therefore the Borough Council would have to buy in these skills from the private sector. However I understand the Staffordshire County Council does have qualified transport staff so please make contact with Dean Sargeant for further details.

Cllr Heenan has been liaising with County Cllr Mike Maryon on HS2 and it has been agreed that both Stafford Borough and Staffordshire County Council will co-operate on technical and other matters concerning HS2.This agreement to co-operate will now be incorporated into the District Deal and progressed by both Councils.

-What are the council’s plans for supporting those affected by HS2 and their response to HS2?

Answer = The HS2 proposal has a compensation scheme which is currently out for consultation in terms of those affected by HS2 but there is no further funds available through the Council. However, Stafford Borough will provide specialist expert advice on noise issues through Environmental & Health Services

Stafford Borough Council has yet to come to a formal position on HS2. Once our investigations on alternate routes / business case is finalised, we will make it public.