HS2 asked homeowner to cut compensation request by £20,000

High speed rail bosses asked a home owner whose property will be blighted by the line to reduce their compensation claim by £20,000 - so they could arrange to rent it out to someone else.

The figure emerged during a Commons exchange on compensation for people affected by the £50 billion HS2 project.

Jeremy Lefroy, MP for Stafford, revealed: "A constituent of mine, having arrived at a value that was supposed to be fair, was then asked by HS2 to reduce the figure by £20,000 so that it could get the property into a rentable state. That is neither fair nor reasonable."

The property is understood to be in the Hopton area.

Mr Lefroy told the Express & Star: "HS2 wanted to reduce the compensation payment because of work they said needed to be done to get the property in a condition where it could be rented out.

"It is not for residents to have to cover the cost of this when they are being compensated for the impact on their homes.

"HS2 are behaving like market traders by haggling like this."

He was backed up by Sir Bill Cash, MP for Stone, who criticised the arrangements for compensating people whose properties will be blighted.

"Does the minister accept that this is a wholly inadequate package," asked Sir Bill in the Commons.

"We sincerely trust that the committee considering the bill will listen carefully to the analysis that we will put forward in our petitions, because it is petitions to this House that ought to make the difference."

Transport minister Robert Goodwill replied: "That cash payment scheme might help some people to decide that they do not need to move to protect the value of their investment in their home. We have also consulted on a home owner payment scheme to provide cash payments to eligible owner-occupiers between 120 metres and 300 metres from the centre line to enable affected residents to share early in the future economic benefits of the railway. We have sought views on consequential changes to the voluntary purchase offer and the "need to sell" scheme.

A new 'residents commissioner' is being recruited on £590 a day to oversee compensation payments.

HS2 chairman David Higgins said: "Britain needs a new railway line to ease crowding on the current network and to improve connections between our biggest cities. But it is essential that people living close to the planned route understand what payments may be available to them. The Residents' Charter and commissioner is our commitment to making that happen. The commissioner is independent and will make their views, findings and recommendations publically available every three months."

"The charter will set out what eligible residents can expect from HS2 Ltd. It includes a promise to promote awareness of the property schemes that are available so that no-one misses out.

"There is also a pledge to use clear communications – that plain, non-technical language will be used wherever possible in correspondence and that there will be a timely response to all enquiries.

"The Commissioner is expected to be appointed before the end of the year. More details of their role and the Charter will be available when the final Government package is announced in December."