Find out if your home is affected

The government protects land that may be needed to build the railway. This includes land for tracks, tunnels, utilities like gas, electricity and water, planting and flood protection.

We need to make sure no one builds on land needed for the railway without being consulted. This process is called safeguarding.

As our design develops, the amount of land we need can change. That’s why we update our safeguarding maps from time to time.

Safeguarding does not stop you making a planning application. But when the council receives an application, they tell us on behalf of the government. We then advise whether the planning application would affect the railway.

Safeguarding helps us protect the land we need to build and run the railway from new developments that could make construction more costly or difficult.

If your land or property is in a safeguarded area, you may be able to sell it to us and receive extra compensation. This is called statutory blight.

View our Safeguarding Directions

The Secretary of State for Transport issued safeguarding directions for:

• Phase One: August 2018
• Phase 2a: June 2020
• Phase 2b western leg: October 2020
• Phase 2b eastern leg: June 2019

These directions require local planning authorities to consult us about planning applications in safeguarded areas before making a decision.

Local planning authorities will declare safeguarding directions. You’ll see if they’re in place if you’re planning to buy a property.

Contact the HS2 helpdesk if your proposed development is in a safeguarded zone.

We may apply planning conditions on developments within safeguarding limits to protect the railway. Generally, conditions require developers to show their proposals will not harm the railway.

Read our Safeguarding Directions.

If your property is in a safeguarded area, you may be able to ask the Secretary of State for Transport to buy it before we need to start building there. To do this, you need to complete a blight notice.

Read more about serving a blight notice.

If you live close to the route, you may receive a notice from us. This means we may need to:

• access your land or property to carry out surveys
• temporarily occupy your land or property, or
• permanently acquire your land or property

If you receive a notice, you may be able to claim compensation from us.

Read our guides on claiming compensation and how we handle compensation claims relating to a notice.

Read our compulsory purchase guide to understand what this means for your land or property.

Read our guides on claiming compensation and how we handle compensation claims relating to a notice.

If your land or property is affected by the construction or operation of HS2, we can help.

Read more about our property schemes.

As we build HS2, we need to dig for structures like tunnels, portals and shafts. This work can cause small movements in the ground, called ‘settlement’.

Read more about ground settlement and how to register for settlement deeds.

We need a legal right to use subsoil to build tunnels for the high-speed trains and other underground rail infrastructure. If your land or property is above a tunnel or other underground infrastructure.

Read more about how and why we obtain and use subsoil.

We know that building a new railway can affect people who live and work near the route. We take our responsibilities seriously and will design and build HS2 in ways that reduce noise and vibration.

Read more about schemes to help those affected by noise and vibration.

Our land access team agrees access to private land for surveys. Before Royal Assent, surveys are carried out under a licence. After Royal Assent, surveys are carried out under the land powers in the HS2 act.

Read more about our approach to accessing land and property.