Published: Wednesday, 25th January, 2006 10:00
No safeguard for house prices
By Border Telegraph Newsroom
Print Article
MILLIONS of pounds could be wiped off Borders house prices if the railway is extended to Carlisle, it has been claimed.
Angry residents suggest that the value of some properties could plummet by between £5000 and £10,000 as a result of Scottish Borders Council’s move to “safeguard” a route southwards from Tweedbank.
Aware of the possible reinstatement of the Waverley line between Edinburgh and Carlisle, they feel that SBC is acting without adequate public consultation.
The draft Local Plan shows a provisional line which follows the original track bed, but this indicative route is infuriating people whose houses are close to it.
It has been suggested that around 400 houses in the Melrose and Newtown St Boswells areas will be affected by the line, which is between 200 and 300 metres wide.
Melrose and District Community Council, having discussed the issue at its monthly meeting on Wednesday, has decided to lodge a formal objection to the proposal shown in the development plan.
John Robertson estimated that up to £5 million in equity could be lost if the indicative route was sanctioned.
He said: “No decision has been taken about this extension.
“There are between 20 and 30 areas where it just can’t go without causing significant offence.
“As soon as a line is on a map, the more likely it is that this will be built.
“This could affect about 310 properties in Darnick and Melrose, 50 to 60 in Newtown St Boswells and 100 in Hawick.”
Mr Robertson is unclear if an extension from Tweedbank is to provide a local service, access the south, export timber or offer a through passage from freight.
He said: “Construction is problematic from a cost point of view.
“A great deal of thought has not been given to the issues here.”
Provost William Windram, the community council chairman, expressed concern about an apparent decision to realign the Newstead Conservation Area, affecting eight houses in Back Row.
He said: “As far as I’m aware, no one (in Newstead) has asked to be removed from it.
“To safeguard this particular route seems somewhat premature.”
Councillor David Parker, Leader of Scottish Borders Council, stressed that a possible route from Tweedbank to Hawick and beyond had to be protected.
He said: “By statute, we have to indicate where there is potential for the development of a railway and, if you look at Local Plans, this is pretty standard practice.
“The potential is a real one and so it’s sensible to stop other development and prevent a route being built on.
“This (line) is our best guess at the moment, but the likelihood is that quite a lot of the original route would be used.
“If you look at the current route from Edinburgh to Tweedbank, you’ll see there are few deviations and it pretty much takes the existing route.”
Pointing out that there were few options for the railway route to bypass Melrose, Councillor Parker said those objecting to the indicative plan had the right to raise their concerns at a public inquiry.
Craig Bowman, of the Waverley Railway Project, said: “We are concentrating on getting the Bill for the first stage through the Parliament.
“If the council does not set out its plans for extension, there is then an opportunity to build on a potential railway line — an issue that’s with us already.
“It could have as much a positive impact on house prices as a negative.”
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