A COUPLE say £55,000 has been knocked off the value of their house and the buyers of the property pulled out of the sale, after Network Rail unveiled plans for a temporary works compound near the home.

Network Rail has plans to put a construction compound on a field off Moor Lane, west of Moor Lane Car Park, for two years and 11 months as part of work to upgrade the line between York and Church Fenton.

Neighbours were told about the plans in a letter last Friday - nine days before work was due to begin. Network Rail have now agreed to pause work until March 19 to allow for a consultation with residents.

Matt Williamson's parents in law have a home backing on to the site. They were due to move house to be closer to their children and grandchildren when they discovered Network Rail's plans and felt obliged to tell the buyer of their home. The buyer was due to exchange contracts two days after the Network Rail letter arrived - but pulled out of the sale instead, saying they did not want the disruption of the compound.

Mr Williamson said: “My in laws had already packed for the move – they had crockery in boxes, they had sold furniture, they had organised and paid for the removal firm.

“The house my in laws were moving to fell through because of the loss of the sale. In a week they went from having a sold house, to having a house that is unsellable and no where to move to.

“The house has been revalued since the plans for the compound and it has now been valued at £55,000 less.

“They are completely and utterly devastated, they are in bits. We are really worried about them."

He said a second family who had been interested in buying the house also pulled out. He said neighbours are worried about extra traffic, heavy machinery and nighttime working at the site.

“We know they have to fix the line but we feel they haven’t seriously considered the impact on the community and there are other places they could consider putting a compound," he said.

Cllr Stephen Fenton met with Network Rail days after the plans were revealed to share residents' concerns.

He said residents need to know exactly what work is taking place, what the operating hours will be and the level of extra traffic.

"I don't think people have a problem with the principle of upgrade work to the railway line," he said.

"But it's really important that they consult widely and early to make it clear what's happening on site.

"One of the biggest issues is that residents are in limbo because there has been such a lack of information and they don't know how far away the compound will be from their homes."

He said: "The issue of concern that remains is what Network Rail can offer to help the family who are stuck in a home that they feel is now not sellable."

Network Rail has paused work to create the temporary construction compound until March 19 to engage with neighbours and the local community.

Neil Holm, director for the Transpennine Route Upgrade at Network Rail, said: “I understand the concerns raised about the temporary compound and thank local residents for their initial feedback. We are receptive to this and have quickly acted to pause the start date to give us extra time to carry out an engagement exercise with residents. This will allow us to seek further feedback and also layout our plans in finer detail to help minimise disruption from the compound."

York Outer MP Julian Sturdy added: "I very much share the concerns that several Woodthorpe residents have raised with me about the levels of noise and disruption that would result from Network Rail's planned machinery compound on a greenfield site off Moor Lane. I was pleased to hear that Network Rail have responded to these concerns and agreed to delay the opening of the site to allow time to consult with local residents.

"As part of this I have asked Network Rail to meet with me to discuss how the upgrade to the line between York and Church Fenton can be completed in a less disruptive manner going forward."