If you own and live in property within 300 metres of the proposed route of the new HS2 high speed railway line, then you may be eligible to claim compensation under the HS2 Homeowner Payment scheme.

Neil Faunch, commercial property lawyer at Ansons Solicitors in Staffordshire, has extensive experience in dealing with HS2 compensation claims and explains how the homeowner payment scheme works and who is eligible to apply.

“As long as you meet certain criteria, you may be eligible for a payment of up to £22,500” explains Neil.

Firstly, your house or 25 percent of the total area of your property, must be in the HS2 homeowner payment zone.

Plans showing the extent of the HS2 Homeowner protection zone are available online on the official government HS2 website.

Secondly, if you are within the zone you must also be an owner occupier.

An owner occupier must:

• be the freeholder or a leaseholder with at least three years left on the lease;

• be living in or running a business from the property or have done so for at least six months in the last 18 months if the property is currently empty; and

• have bought the property before 9 April 2014 for Phase 1 and before 30 November 2015 for Phase 2a when the proposals for the homeowner payment were announced.

Unfortunately, commercial property does not qualify for homeowner payments if it has a rateable value of £36,000 or more (£44,200 inside Greater London).

HS2 will also pay legal fees of up to £500 plus VAT in addition to the homeowner payment.

If you think you could be eligible, take legal advice immediately to ensure that you do not miss any deadlines for applications. You may even be eligible for compensation under more than one scheme.

We can help you review the maps, establish whether you are eligible to apply and provide you with assistance with completing the paperwork.

For further information on HS2 compensation schemes, or any other commercial property matter, contact Neil Faunch at Ansons Solicitors on 01543 267191 or email nfaunch@ansons.law

This article is for general information purposes only and does not constitute legal or professional advice. It should not be used as a substitute for legal advice relating to your particular circumstances. Please note that the law may have changed since the date this article was published.