At a recent public meeting in Bedford on the East West Railway (EWR) line proposals, the newly elected Conservative Mayor, Tom Wootton said that he thought East West Rail were being ‘stingy’.
He said EWR should be paying a premium to anyone whose property is blighted by their plans for the northern route of the Bedford to Cambridge railway.
In a story reported in Rail magazine, the Mayor also lent his support to a campaign to get the railway in a tunnel rather than a cutting.
Some residents whose property is blighted by the plans are claiming that they have been offered 20-30% below the market rate for their properties.
EWR CEO Beth West rejected these claims saying that residents would get full market value as part of the “Need to Sell” scheme.
Market rates would be determined by two independent valuers.
Wootton said that, this scheme is going to cost taxpayers billions of pounds they [displaced owners] should at least get more than the market rate for their homes.
This public meeting is one of many being held along the proposed route after EWR announced their plans.
