12 October 2023 , 09:29
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A woman from Derby is the last resident standing on a street that's set to vanish due to a whopping £250 million upgrade of the A38.
Gail Roberts, 64, who has multiple sclerosis, has been in a deadlock with National Highways for years over the sale of her house on Queensway service road next to Markeaton Island.
After a compulsory purchase order was issued, other residents started moving out after accepting the cash offered by National Highways for their homes. But Mrs Roberts, who adores her home, hasn't yet reached an agreement with them, more than a decade after the works were first suggested.
She said: "I feel battered, bruised and drained by the whole experience. But I'm quite proud to be the last one standing. I love this house. I'll never have another like it."
Plans to revamp the A38 were initially proposed in the 1990s but never materialised. Mrs Roberts purchased her house at auction in 2011, oblivious to the fact that the project was being reconsidered.
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Neighbours on the street have moved away (DerbyshireLive/BPM)It wasn't until July 2013 that she first heard about it. That year, a smaller £4m project to widen the road was completed. The major overhaul was a much longer-term goal. However, in 2019, the secretary of state signed off an order that legally obligated National Highways to buy residents' homes.
Many were chuffed to take the cash - the market value of the house plus a 10% bonus - because they wanted out anyway. Mrs Roberts wasn't, but grudgingly accepted an offer. However, things took a turn when an environmental campaign group dragged National Highways to court over carbon emissions and won. The order was squashed.
Mrs Roberts thought the plan might be completely scrapped and decided to stay put. But Highways kept haggling with her and after an MS relapse earlier this year, she accepted another, higher offer.
She said: "At the time, I didn't know whether I would walk again. I thought life was too short to not accept the money."
In August, the order was given the green light again by the Government, meaning Mrs Roberts needed to leave her home. But despite accepting the money, she's yet to find another house. Over the past five years, she's been to 92 house viewings. She says the majority have just not compared to where she is now.
On the ones she has offered on - with the money from National Highways - she's been outbid. She says that the money is not enough to compete with other buyers for houses of the same character as her current one. Mrs Roberts' disability means she needs a home suitable for her needs. The Queensway property is spacious and adaptable. Many others are not.
The deadlock continues. Worries have been voiced about the latest A38 plans as a new legal challenge is underway, leaving everyone in the dark about when the works will begin. Mrs Roberts has had enough of house hunting and is thinking about moving into a bungalow owned by her husband. However, if she does, she won't be eligible for nearly £20,000 in legal fees and stamp duty that National Highways would cover for her to purchase a home. For now, she's staying put.
A spokesperson for National Highways said: "We appreciate moving house can be a stressful and emotive time which is why we strive to carry out the purchase of property needed for our road improvements in a fair, sympathetic and transparent matter.
"We have made several offers to Mrs Roberts over the years and are pleased she has now accepted an offer for her property which we believe to be a fair market price.
"In the meantime, we will continue to discuss the purchase with both Mrs Roberts and her appointed representatives under the rules of the compensation code and our offer of paying Mrs Roberts' reasonable fees in obtaining professional advice remains open."
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