Residents being 'kept in the dark' over Boundary Road closure

Railway Road residents claim Network Rail have not done enough to communicate

NETWORK Rail has been criticised for showing a “lack of consideration” and failing to listen to people directly affected by the 12-month closure of Boundary Road, Newbury.

Residents of nearby Railway Road say they have been kept in the dark, and also expressed concerns over parking, waste collection, accessibility for emergency services and noise caused by the works.

Network Rail is proposing to address the issues by applying for planning permission to build a turning circle in the road, put temporary yellow lines down to restrict the number of parked cars and create a passing bay big enough for two cars.

One Railway Road resident, Charles McAlpin, said: “We are all bitterly disappointed by the overall lack of information and consideration for anyone living on our road.

“[Network Rail] has already closed our road off with no prior notification on a previous occasion, and now we are expected to deal with this for a whole year.

“The ever-present problem on Railway Road is the parking – what is normally a one-way street will become two-way by adding a passing bay and a turning circle.

“This will use nine parking spaces on a road of 30 houses.

“That is a third of all residents who will no longer be able to park outside their homes.

“Network Rail admitted that there was nowhere for us to park.

“I have three small children and I cannot just leave them in the house to pick up the car from whichever road I might have left it on.

“I’m sure that the bosses over at Network Rail will be getting healthy bonuses for the completion of the electrification.

“However, it does feel that it is Railway Road who have to deal with the problems, with absolutely no benefit.”

Simon Waterfall, who also lives in Railway Road, added: “It doesn’t feel like we are being listened to.”

Another resident, Bill Ainsworth, said: “They never sent a letter or contacted anyone on Railway Road, which is disgraceful.

“We seem to be being ignored and there has been no consultation at all. We just want our voice heard. Railway Road is very narrow and it’s going to be a nightmare for 12 months.”