Road Wars

DoT Compensation Claims Feared

Squall 10, Summer 1995, pg. 19.

As well as the swelling costs of policing new roads against protesters, rules on compensation have also affected budgets for proposed roads.

Following a judgement in a case involving one Colonel Owen last year, the DoT now has to account for the cut in property values as well as the noise nuisance people suffer from new roads in its compensation payments.

The case that gave rise to this precedent was not very well publicised and many affected property owners and residents may not be aware of their new rights to compensation.

In another largely ignored case the DoT was criticized by the Ombudsman for not paying compensation to a group of householders affected by the Channel Tunnel Rail Link.

There are fears in the department that these two cases could open the floodgates to thousands of compensation claims.