HS2 tunnelling, USA News: Homeowners in West London are said to be “trying not to panic” after witnessing their properties beginning to “crack” and “sink”. Residents living near Queen’s Park Station in West London say the tunnelling works as part of the HS2 rail project is causing severe damage to their homes.
The damage, residents say, has escalated dramatically since a tunnel boring machine passed roughly 18 metres underground between August 30 and September 13, carving out part of the route linking Euston to Old Oak Common. Properties along Claremont Road and Kilburn Lane in London have been worst affected, with around a dozen local people claiming that cracks either appeared for the first time or worsened markedly after the tunnelling fortnight concluded.
Emergency Action and Resident Concerns
Brent Council has taken emergency action at one end-of-terrace property on Claremont Road, erecting scaffolding to shore up the structure after cracking reached dangerous levels. Ground-floor tenants were relocated to alternative accommodation. One homeowner on the same street said he noticed a crack spanning the entire height of his building at the end of September, noting that as someone who invested life savings into a home, it is disheartening to see the damage without clear resolution from HS2.
Another resident, 57-year-old Sonia, who has occupied her Claremont Road flat for two decades, said she has been trying not to panic since scaffolding appeared outside her home. Although downstairs neighbours were rehomed, her housing association has not yet arranged a move for her, and warped doors highlight the building’s shifting foundations.
Local Official Response and HS2 Statement
Liberal Democrat councillor Barbara Want, who represents a Brent ward, has dismissed suggestions from HS2 that weather is to blame, maintaining that vibrations from the boring machine are clearly responsible for the subsidence and cracking near Queen’s Park station. Ms Want stated that houses standing for 150 years would not suddenly crack to such an extent due to a hot summer.
A spokesman for HS2 Ltd responded that the company takes its responsibilities to communities very seriously and tries to respond quickly to concerns. Claims from inside the affected area are dealt with thoroughly, and where tunnelling is shown to have a material impact, properties will be compensated. Furthermore, analysis of monitoring data indicates that tunnelling-related ground settlement in the area has been small in magnitude and in line with expectations.
