§ Lord Norrieasked Her Majesty's Government:
What arrangements exist for the reimbursement of property owners who incurred professional and other costs in responding to proposals for new road schemes put forward by the Department of Transport in respect of those schemes which were withdrawn by the Department of Transport on 26 November 1996.
§ The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Transport (Viscount Goschen)Property owners are free to apply to the Highways Agency for reimbursement of reasonable costs necessarily incurred in responding to schemes subsequently withdrawn from my department's trunk road programme. In the case of schemes withdrawn before the announcement of a preferred route such costs are normally met only if they arose as a consequence of a direct approach by the Highways Agency or its agents.