Huddersfield residents call for £10k payout for losing gardens in two year rail upgrade

Residents living near a railway line in Huddersfield, who won't be able to use their gardens for two years due to track improvements, are calling for £10,000 compensation.

Network Rail, who own and manage the railway infrastructure, need access to the gardens to cut back vegetation ahead of a major scheme to update Deighton train station and electrify the Transpennine line.

Fourteen homes at Glenfield Avenue in Deighton will be affected by the work, which is expected to start in September.

Terry Binns has lived on the street for 40 years and says residents are not happy because they will not be able to enjoy their gardens in peace.

He said: "It will be terrible. We think we will be housebound with all the windows shut at the back. The noise will be horrendous.

"We won't to be able to have our garden for our grandchildren or to socialise."

Terry says he and his neighbours support the upgrade scheme but have signed a petition calling for appropriate compensation after being offered what amounts to £4 a day.

"It is a great thing for the line to be electrified. It will be quicker for people going to Manchester and Leeds but for us we have got this for two years," said Terry adding: "So just compensate us for the time you are going to be here and we think a reasonable amount is £10,000 which is only £12 a day."

In a statement Network Rail said: "To facilitate these upgrades engineers need to strengthen embankments on either side of the railway which means it is necessary to access third party land in some areas.

Communities are at the heart of our upgrades and played a big role when developing our sustainability strategy."

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