The NFU has called for greater clarity and swifter support for
farmers and growers surrounding the return of land that had been
compulsory purchased ahead of the second phase of HS2.
In a letter to the Secretary of State for Transport , sent by NFU Vice President
David Exwood, he highlighted the urgent need for government to
develop a transparent policy to enable the sale back of land
taken from farmers and that former landowners are given the
first refusal to buy back that land.
Mr Exwood said: “As farmers, we recognise the
importance of infrastructure development, but many have been left
with more uncertainty and delay after part of HS2 project was
cancelled.
“Farmers and growers must have a fair and swift resolution when
it comes to land compensation and restoration.
“The NFU is urging the Department for Transport to accelerate the
process of returning land to former landowners as swiftly as
possible. The longer the delay in getting this process up and
running, the greater the chance of issues arising which will make
it more difficult to return land in an efficient and satisfactory
way.
“To provide clarity and certainty to affected parties, the NFU
calls for the Department for Transport to lift safeguarding
measures on land taken for Phase 2a in the coming weeks and no
later than next year for Phase 2b, as stated in the government’s
latest paper ‘Network North: transforming British transport’.
“We must have a transparent process that allows former landowners
the first refusal to repurchase land taken under compulsory
purchase. It is important that DFT communicates with landowners
affected as soon as possible to start to understand the many
different scenarios that landowners find themselves in, with many
issues that will need to be addressed. This will help to lead to
a fair and equitable outcome for all parties involved.
“The current level of uncertainty surrounding the HS2 project is
unsettling for many members and the broader community, and it’s
essential that the many farm businesses already so badly
disrupted by this project can start to rebuild their
businesses and get back to doing what they do best – producing
climate-friendly and nutritious food for the country.”
-ends-
Notes to editor:
- Specifically, the NFU is calling for:
- Swift lifting of safeguarding measures for Phase 2 land,
as stated in the Command Paper.
- A transparent process for returning land to former
landowners, accommodating different scenarios for fair
resolutions for both HS2 Ltd and landowners.
- Reinstatement of land to its former condition, if
required.
- Finalisation and disbursement of outstanding crop loss
payments.
- Honouring Blight Notices that have been served and
accepted, unless the claimant would prefer that these are
abandoned.
- Progression in agreeing outstanding compensation claims
and the time it is taking to hand land back which was taken
on a temporary basis.
