Harringay, Haringey - So Good they Spelt it Twice!
Gospel Oak - Barking line: Network Rail's ugly new fence
I live on Lothair Road North and was dismayed to see a tall, shiny and very ugly new fence appear at the bottom of my garden last week as part of Network Rail's Gospel Oak - Barking line electrification work (image attached).
I appreciate the need for a fence for safety reasons and also acknowledge that residents were informed of the plans. But we weren't told what kind of fence or what it would look like. Given half the appeal of these houses is the extra green you get from backing on to the railway line it seems like a real bully move by Network Rail to pick such a visually intrusive model. Why a pallisade fence rather than chainlink? Or could they not at least have painted it green?
I called this morning to complain about how the whole thing was handled and suggest that Network rail offer a paint job or some disguising planting as a neighbourly gesture and was told planting was a definite no and painting was very unlikely.
I was also warned that I'd be trespassing if I went up there to plant anything myself. Although apparently it's OK if I stand on my side of the fence and lean over to throw some seeds!
Who else backs onto the line and has been affected by this? Has anyone else cntacted Network Rail, and if so, what response did you get?
I realise that with Trump's proposed wall etc, an ugly fence is way down the list of global things to worry about but still...IMG_6873.JPG
Tags for Forum Posts: barking to gospel oak line, overground
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by John Leeming on
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Your ivy will soon cover it! Alternatively plant Virginia creeper or Russian vine (though with the latter you'll be forever cutting it back!).
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Permalink Reply by Owen Joseph on
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The fence is 2.3m high at the end of my garden which seems unnecessary. The new fence they put in by the Wightman/ Alroy bridge is 1.75m yet that is where people are more likely to try to climb over.
I don't think we should just put up with it but instead get together and persuade them to change it.
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Permalink Reply by Maddy on
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I think you'd have a case - the contractor has obviously not followed the brief and I don't see why you should have to suffer with such an ugly fence.
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Permalink Reply by Chris Barker on
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Very ugly. You could grow things up against it but I know why Network Rail don't like the idea of planting things their side of the fence, although this might not apply to your site. One is making sure sight lines for signals are not obscured and the other is that if planting grows into big trees they drop leaves on the line.
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Just to let you know we were told of the type of fence - both by letter and in the neighbourhood consultations - but it wasn't the galvanised steel fence that they have put up but a green powder coated pallisade - to quote from their letter dated 29 September 2015 "For aesthetic reasons the fencing will be a green powder coated pallisade fence as opposed to the galvanised security style fencing that we would normally erect on our boundary". They also said that the fence would be 1.8-2.1 metres high but their placing of the fence on the embankment makes it appear somewhat higher.
Aside from making complaints and asking for the more aesthetic fence, I think the fence could provide a good frame for climbing plants - the soil has been turned over quite nicely by the machines used by NR.
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Permalink Reply by Glenn Wallis on
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I have seen that green powder coated fence in several photos that have been sent to BGORUG and in Tweets from Network Rail #GOBE
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That's interesting. Where I live the embankment drops down. The fence has been installed at the same level as my garden and stands at 2.3m high, so not what they promised at all.
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Galvanised at max height is cheaper for them all round, I'd guess. Mobilise your ivy!
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Dear Andy, I'd very much like to see a copy of their letter, because if I received it I can't find it anymore. Owen
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Hi guys... just come across this thread following posting here. I'm in Oakdale Road, and have a similar issue.
http://www.harringayonline.com/forum/topics/problems-for-lineside-n...
Has anyone managed to get any sense out of Network Rail yet? If so care to share contact info? FWIW I haven't got much out of lara.correia@networkrail.co.uk but maybe if enough people email her...
She advised me to make contact via the national helpline... I did but haven't got anywhere there either.
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I'm wondering if they're planning to replace the fence alongside Railway Fields with the same 'concentration-camp' look - if so I think it would really change the atmosphere of the place.
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