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"If you like me and want to help prevent the proposed £17b London to Birmingham High Speed 2 from roaring past my home every 2 minutes at 225 mph,  then please, please, please sign the petition below. This is something HMG is "committed" to, so every signature counts."

Click here for official website and petition

LAUNCH OF EXCEPTIONAL HARDSHIP SCHEME

I am pleased to confirm that the High Speed Two Exceptional Hardship Scheme (EHS) started operation  today, 20 August. The scheme is designed to provide assistance for those property owners who are most severely and immediately affected by the preferred route option – published in March this year - for a new high speed rail line between London  and Birmingham and who need to sell their property.

The Government has produced a guidance document on the EHS, which explains:

what property owners need to do in order to apply for the Government to buy their property;
under  what circumstances could a property qualify for the scheme; and
the process for dealing with applications.

You can download the guidance, and an application form, at http://www.hs2.org.uk/exceptional-hardship-scheme. Alternatively, you  can get a free copy of the guidance and application form by contacting the HS2 enquiry line on 020 7944 4908. Copies are also being sent to central libraries along the line of the route.

Ministers have asked us to prepare for a full public  consultation on the high speed rail link in early 2011. Following the consultation, an announcement will be made on whether the new line is to go ahead and, if so, what its final route would be. This is likely to be by late 2011. At that point we expect  that the EHS will be replaced by:

(i) a statutory blight scheme covering properties which the Government would need to buy in order to build or operate rail services on any new line, and

(ii) further support arrangements for those  property owners who would be most seriously affected by a new line but were not covered by the statutory scheme. Ministers will announce, ahead of the public consultation early next year, what support arrangements they propose putting in place.

A set of frequently asked questions with more information on the EHS can also be found at www.hs2.org.uk/exceptional-hardship-scheme

Yours sincerely
MIRANDA CARTER
Head of Environment & Planning

High Speed Two (HS2) Limited, registered in England . Registered number 06791686. Registered office 55 Victoria St , London , SW1H 0EU