Bob Baker, a retiree from Pill, North Somerset, is facing the loss of his cherished garden shed due to Network Rail’s plans to build a new station at the end of his property. The shed, which serves as his personal retreat where he spends up to four hours daily, is set to be removed as the railway line through the village is revived after being disused for decades.
The Bakers’ garden backs onto the disused Portishead Railway, which is now undergoing redevelopment as part of a long-awaited project to reopen the line. Network Rail has announced it will need to take five metres off the end of their garden—including the entire shed area—during construction.
Mrs. Gill Baker revealed that Network Rail had offered to provide a container on the opposite side of the road to store Bob’s belongings temporarily. The company assures residents that disruptions will be minimized and that the garden will be restored post-construction.
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The project includes demolishing the Station House, excavating, and stabilizing the embankment that runs through Pill. Bob Baker expressed concern about the prolonged disruption: “For at least two years, we have to live in a building site. That’s a long time to lose our garden.” He also emphasized that while he supports the railway reopening, he questions the necessity of taking such a large portion of their garden just to put up a fence, especially since there is already about four metres between their garden and the railway line.
Their neighbor, Robert Proudfoot, whose property abuts the railway even more closely, will be left with only two metres of garden after construction. He voiced his frustration, wondering if this would qualify them for council tax reductions.
At a recent public information event in Pill, residents had the chance to raise concerns directly with Network Rail representatives. The team acknowledged the disruption but remained optimistic about the project’s benefits, highlighting the community’s enthusiasm for the railway’s reopening.
The Portishead Railway, which closed to passengers during the Beeching Cuts in 1964, is being reopened after years of campaigning. New stations are being built in Portishead and Pill, with an additional platform reopening at Parson Street station in Bristol. Train services between Portishead and Bristol Temple Meads are expected to start running hourly by 2028 or 2029.