HS2 Ltd: Thanks for giving us your home. Money? What Money?

One of the many constants over the last eight years has been that each in the long procession of Secretary of States for Transport, has said that HS2 Ltd have to treat people better. The reason that these transient politicians admit an organisation, which was found guilty of ‘maladministration’ in  dealing with the public by a Parliamentary watchdog, “needs to improve” is because their treatment of the public from start to finish has been absolutely woeful. Of course the sad fact is that when these various Secretaries of State have said that HS2 Ltd “needs to improve”, what they have meant is “Bloody hell, they’ve been caught out treating people like shit again. I need to say something. Don’t get me wrong, I won’t do anything, I don’t actually care. It’s just that this is a bit embarrassing, so I have to say something.”

You may say that’s cynical, but when these things keep happening, politicians promise things will get better, but they actually get worse, you have to accept that they simply don’t care. It’s with this attitude that HS2 Ltd have continued to act with impunity and wreckless abandon to members of the public, regularly trampling over the lives of the little people.

Now, you as a reasonable person might think that losing your home to HS2 might be hard to take, and it might well be harder if your home is also your business, your livelihood. So, given that losing your home and livelihood in one hit is probably harder to take than ‘just’ losing you home, you might think that these people get special treatment from HS2 Ltd. Well you’ll be pleased to know that they do.

You see, when HS2 Ltd decide they need to take your home, they pay you for it before you move out. But if your home is a business, you know, like a B&B or a pub, they chuck you out on the street with the promise

The Bree Louise in happier times

that they’ll start talking about how much they’ll pay for your property -which they’ve already taken and maybe even already knocked down- at some point in the future, and then change their minds, safe in the knowledge that you’ll be able to survive on their promises alone.

Well this is the word-for-word experience of the former owners of the Bree Louise in Camden:

“Three months ago we very reluctantly handed the keys to our wonderful home and business to HS2, 90 days was the time we were given before we would be made an offer of compensation that would start negotiations, now we are not stupid people, we set aside monies for the inevitable bills that would follow and even quite a few unexpected expenses, thank god also we always plan ahead and this years trips are booked and payed for as, surprise surprise HS2 have yet again moved the goalposts and we are now looking at at least another three months before an offer is even made, six months without income but the outgoings obviously don’t stop, I hope these people lose as much sleep at night as I do.”

Anyone might think HS2 Ltd are deliberately trying to distress the former owners, wear them down to a point where they are desperate for money and will accept any old derisory offer……..

3 comments to “HS2 Ltd: Thanks for giving us your home. Money? What Money?”
  1. When will this Scheme be finally put to rest rather than lurching on destroying everything in the way?

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