A spokesman for the anti-HS2 group that was successful in its High Court case over the compensation consultation suggested that the Government should issue property bonds:
We don't have a value for what the compensation bill will be.
One way for the Government to help would be to issue property bonds to ensure the housing market remains liquid.
Existing owners may have to sell at a discount because of the blight.
But bonds could be issued to ensure the person buying would have a guarantee that the Government would make up the difference if the price fell below a certain level.
This could help prevent people being unable to sell and remaining trapped in their homes for a long period of time when a change in their circumstances, such as a change of job, required them to sell.
Residents living near HS2 route 'should not bear burden'
A lawyer from the firm who represented High Speed 2 Action Alliance (HS2AA) - who won a case against the government today - expressed delight over the victory on the compensation challenge.
This was never a Nimby argument. Many thousands of people living along the route will not be able to sell their homes for some 15 years because their homes are blighted.
They should not have to bear the burden for this national project.
We hope now that proper arrangements are put in place by the Government for compensation for those who live by the proposed HS2 route to make it possible for them to move if and when they wish, in the same way that the rest of us can.
– Richard Stein, Leigh Day law firm who represented HS2AA
The High Court ruled that the consultation process for compensating those affected by the HS2 high-speed rail scheme "was so unfair as to be unlawful".
Two trains pass through Church Fenton, North Yorkshire where it is proposed the HS2 railway will link with the East Coast Mainline. Credit: Anna Gowthorpe/PA Wire
The decision was a victory for the High Speed 2 Action Alliance (HS2AA), which consists of more than 70 affiliated action groups and residents' associations.
The HS2AA case was one of five separate cases brought to block the rail scheme in its current form - it was the only case to succeed.
Mr Justice Ouseley, sitting at London's High Court, is now hearing submissions from lawyers on the appropriate remedy.
Government consultations on compensating those affected by the proposed HS2 high-speed rail scheme were today ruled "unlawful" by the High Court, lawyers Leigh Day said.
Joe Rukin from Stop HS2 told ITV News Central that he remains optimistic about the outcome of today's review.
The High Court is expected to give its ruling on a number of legal challenges to the government's plans for HS2 later today.
Opponents of the high speed rail plans are asking a judge in London to declare the multi-billion pound project legally flawed and to reconsider the plans.
The first phase of HS2 would see a high-speed railway line running from London to Birmingham.
If successful, the legal challenge could potentially delay the scheme for years.
Judgment is being handed down by Mr Justice Ouseley at London's High Court. Whatever the judge decides, appeals against his decisions are almost certain to be taken to the Court of Appeal.
Key accusations include that the Government has unlawfully failed to undertake a strategic environmental assessment of the entire project before giving the go-ahead, or to arrange a consultation process "that allows informed responses on the true merits and demerits of the proposals".
There is also a dispute over the compensation arrangements being put in place for homeowners living near the HS2 line.
Some 172,000 properties within 1km of the first phase are reported to be affected by "a generalised blight" since the proposals were announced.
Fierce campaigns are being fought to stop HS2 development in certain areas. Credit: PA
The High Court is to rule today on legal challenges to the Government's HS2 high-speed rail scheme.
Opponents are asking a judge in London to declare in a series of five cases that the multi-billion pound project is legally flawed and must be sent back for reconsideration.
The first phase of HS2 would see a high-speed railway line running through Tory heartlands from London to Birmingham.
The scheme has polarised opinion, with many residents' groups and local councils bitterly opposing it, but supporters point out the benefits of a reduction in journey times between the UK's two biggest cities.
If successful, the legal challenge could potentially delay the scheme for years.
A signalling problem between Wickford and Southminster has disrupted Greater Anglia services. A supplementary bus service is running on the whole Southminster branch with journey times extended by up to 30 minutes. There is currently no estimate for when a normal service will resume.
