London,
18
March
2015
|
12:42
Europe/London

HS2: Camden secures remaining replacement housing for tenants

Camden Council has secured funding to build the new homes for the remaining tenants who would lose their homes if High Speed Two (HS2) goes ahead.

HS2 Ltd will pay the market value for the homes that Camden needs to build to replace tenants’ homes lost due to HS2. This payment will also allow the Council to deliver enough new homes to offer resident leaseholders the opportunity to remain in the local area.

The Council is currently consulting on plans for the replacement housing sites and intends to submit a planning application for the replacement homes in June 2015.

Councillor Phil Jones, Cabinet Member for Regeneration, Transport and Planning said:

“In spite of our resistance to HS2, we need to fight for the best possible outcomes for local residents if it is imposed on us. This package provides re-assurance that anyone forced out by HS2 will receive high quality replacement housing, only have to move once and be able to remain in the community that they know and love.

“We know that this deal will be little comfort to the hundreds of people who don’t want to move from their homes, and that’s why we’ll continue to oppose HS2.”

In exchange HS2 Ltd will receive the housing blocks that they say will have to be demolished and the land around them that is needed to build the new railway lines. The transfer of the buildings and land will only happen once the HS2 Hybrid Bill has Royal Assent and the affected residents have moved into their new homes.

The Council will continue to negotiate with HS2 Ltd to ensure that fair compensation and suitable mitigation is in place for residents in the surrounding area who face decades of disruption if HS2 pursues its latest proposals for Euston station.

At the same time Camden Council will continue its strong opposition to the scheme.

More information

Camden Council opposes plans for HS2 as currently proposed. If the government does go ahead with the scheme, Camden is committed to securing the best deal for our communities. Find out more here.