Question
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 23 June 2015, Official Report, column 834, whether apart from the need to sell scheme mentioned that residents affected by the High Speed 2 development in Wells House Road and Midland Terrace NW10 will be entitled to support comparable with that being offered through the Rural Zones.
Answer
Rural areas will feel the effects of HS2 more than urban areas, where major construction projects are commonplace and properties relatively close to railways or building sites are often shielded from their effects by other buildings and background noise. This is why some of the assistance schemes are directed at rural areas only. However, we have gone beyond what is required by law in order to assist urban owner-occupiers.
The Need to Sell scheme is available to qualifying residents in Wells House Road and Midland Terrace. The owner occupiers of properties on the east side of Wells House Road may be eligible to claim under the Express Purchase scheme. Those affected by the tunnel underneath Wells House Road would be afforded various protections from the impacts from tunnelling, including settlement deeds.