Network Rail has abandoned controversial plans to turn a York field into a compound for machinery.
The plans caused consternation among neighbouring residents.
And the sale of a house which backs onto the field fell through because of the threatened works site – leaving its elderly owners devastated. The house has since been sold.
Due to house materials, machinery and staff facilities, the proposed construction, next to the railway line in Woodthorpe, attracted opposition from residents worried about extra traffic, heavy machinery and nighttime working.
It was originally set to be put 40 metres away from houses in Moor Lane and would have operated 24 hours a day for nearly three years.
Dringhouses and Woodthorpe councillor Stephen Fenton, who has been supporting residents, welcomed the news.
He said:
This issue has rumbled on for over a year since the plans were first announced, and so I am pleased that Network Rail have been able to find a solution which will enable the upgrade work to go ahead without the need to create a compound on this green field site.
Apart from the noise nuisance that residents feared would be created, there were also concerns about vehicles accessing and exiting the site via a very busy stretch of Moor Lane.
The local community, and Network Rail, can now move on from this episode.
Work over weekends
The compound plans related to the programme of work on the line between York and Church Fenton, as part of the Transpennine upgrade.
In response to local concerns, Network Rail paused their plans and in April 2021 the organisation proposed locating the compound further away from neighbouring properties.
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Stephen Wright, senior sponsor for Network Rail said: “We’re really pleased that we could replan our work to upgrade the track between York and Copmanthorpe.
“Instead of working through the week, our teams can now work over weekends, which will give them the time they need to transport key materials from our new logistics hub at Gascoigne Wood, near Sherburn-in-Elmet.
“This approach means that we no longer need to build a compound at Dringhouses.”
He added: “I hope that the community welcomes this news and I’d like to thank them for engaging with us from the start. It means that we can deliver these major improvements for passengers with the least disruption to people living nearby.”