Angry residents are fighting Network Rail over access to their gardens during preparations for a major rail upgrade project.
Fourteen residents of Glenfield Avenue in Deighton, Huddersfield, have signed a petition calling on Network Rail workers to stay away from their gardens unless a compensation payment of £10,000 is agreed.
Network Rail, which owns and manages rail infrastructure, needs access to trackside gardens to cut vegetation ahead of a major plan to regenerate Deighton Station. According to the homeowners, the gardens will be cut and restored once the track improvement work is completed.
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Resident Terry Binns said residents were not happy as the engineering works were planned to take around two years and would mean people would not be able to enjoy their gardens. He and others believe they will not be compensated properly and fairly.
Terry, a keen gardener, says he will temporarily lose about a quarter of his garden, which he has maintained and improved for nearly 40 years. He said one resident had been offered compensation of £3,000, which Terry described as ‘ridiculous’. He says it works for about £4 a day.
Retired Yorkshire Water technician Terry said: “No-one has come to talk to us about compensation and there are rumors going around about an offer of £3,000. “No one has come to me and said what it is. It’s not us. We’re talking a few months’ work; it’s over two years, our garden “It won’t happen. They say two years, but it could be three years because I think they’re already behind us.”
Terry supports the aims of the track improvement plan but says his family’s life will be badly affected if he cannot enjoy his garden due to noise and dust during the excavation process.
“Socializing in the garden with our eight grandchildren is a big thing for us. They play and love watching the trains go by.” Terry says residents are frustrated with what they see as a lack of communication from Network Rail.
The petition calls on Network Rail to agree to pay compensation of £10,000 to each owner and tenant, saying: “All owners and tenants agree that access to any of the gardens will not be provided unless the sum of £10,000 is paid to each owner.” and I have been a tenant of Glenfield Avenue for two years.”
Network Rail reminded residents that they need access to yards to cut down trees and may take enforcement action if access is denied. In an incident on April 30, a logging contractor working for Network Rail was seen ‘returning’ from a property on Glenfield Avenue.
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In a letter to residents dated May 10, Network Rail said it was understood the contractor had been denied access “on the basis of monies requested by residents of Glenfield Avenue”. Please note that the current Clause 34 Provisional Ownership notice gives rights to Network Rail and their. “Contractors have the legal right to do these works.”
Network Rail is warning residents they could lose money if they prevent workers from entering their gardens. The letter added: “If access is blocked again, Network Rail will have to use its powers under the Order to obtain access by enforcement, the cost of which will be deducted from any claim for compensation you may have.”
The letter stated: “These works are a vital part of the Transpennine Route Upgrade Project and must be allowed to continue without further interruption. As you know, under the Decision, affected parties are entitled to compensation if they have a legal interest in the project. Land to compensate the parties for their losses .
“But this must be proven and proven and also be equivalent to the damage suffered. We would like to discuss this with you in order to reach a mutually acceptable and provable figure of compensation.”
Transpennine Route Upgrade Sponsor Gareth Hope said in a statement: YorkshireLive: “Deighton Station is one of many stations on the Transpennine Route planned to be upgraded over the coming years, including the construction of a new fully accessible footbridge with lifts, a drop-off area, longer platforms and two additional tracks to allow fast trains to overtake slower trains.
“To facilitate these upgrades engineers need to strengthen the embankment on both sides of the railway which means we need to access third party land in some areas. Approvals for this have been granted to Westtown (Dewsbury) Transport via Huddersfield and a Works Code Order submitted and approved prior to the start of work .
“Communities are at the heart of our improvements and have played a huge role in developing our sustainability strategy. To date the project has employed over 270 apprentices, provided over 11,000 hours of volunteering and engaged more than 42,000 local young people along the route”.
“We are currently working closely with local groups and residents to ensure any impacts from these significant upgrades are kept to a minimum.”