Thousands of homeowners were shocked after receive letters claiming their homes would be destroyed in order to lay rail for the controversial new HS2 high speed rail network.
Letters were sent to almost 15,000 homeowners who are now uncertain of whether their homes are safe or not. An additional 150 homeowners received official letters asking them to vacate their homes for 203 weeks during the line’s construction. The figure should have been just “two or three” weeks.
Foreign Office minister David Lidington called the mistake “astonishing” and claims that the HS2 rail system is creating “unnecessary fears” for the thousands of people affected by the letters. Many of the letters were sent in error or were shocking due to typographic errors.
The controversial HS2 plan could see high-speed trains operating on a line between London and Birmingham. The trains will travel at up to 225mph and be in operation as early as 2026. While most properties require minimal building work, most were sent letters outlining a “compulsory purchase order” from the government.
Although HS2 Ltd was legally obligated to send out the letters using the language it included, the government claims that many of the issues could have been avoided by a more informed choice of wording. Although 15,000 letters were sent out, the rail system will require just a small number of homes to be destroyed.
The HS2 project has been controversial for a number of reasons, ranging from cost to environmental impact. Transport Secretary Patrick McLoughlin reportedly told HS2 Ltd that the latest blunder “must not happen again” as the project comes under an increased level of scrutiny from the public.
Conservative MP Cheryl Gillan called the rail line a “living nightmare” for the people living nearby. She is currently attempting to delay progress on the project after 900 pages were left out of a 50,000-page report detailing the project’s effects on the local environment.
