Camden council has said its residents would need £1bn alone from the government’s £1.3bn High Speed 2 compensation pot.
The Department for Transport has said its compensation for the high speed rail project would be “significantly beyond statutory requirements”, with the total package expected to be between £930m and £1.3bn.
But Camden council blasted the project, adding the compensation bill for its borough alone would be £1bn
Council leader councillor Sarah Hayward said: “High Speed 2 is a fundamentally flawed project and Camden remains strongly opposed to it going ahead.
“The compensation scheme government has come up with is yet another example of how they are not listening to us about the real impact of High Speed 2.
“The proposed route affects areas from Camden to Birmingham, and the compensation set aside for these areas isn’t enough for even Camden.
“This scheme will bring a damning blight to our borough that could last for decades and the council will fight for every home, school and business.”
The £33bn HS2 project will be built in two phases. Phase one, between London and Birmingham, is due to start operating in 2026. Construction could begin in 2017.
nick.whitten@estatesgazette.com
