Future works in Watford Area

[Dave W]

Hello,

Asking for a friend, not for me. They're going through a house purchase on the east side of the railway just north of Watford Junction, near where the slow and fast lines split for the tunnels (Google map attached for simple reference - the house is somewhere in the marked area). They've been told by their solicitor they should get a "transportation search" from their surveyor. Surveyor's said no not required, and now the solicitor is playing silly buggers and has referred to "major works happening in the future" which might negatively impact the value of their home, as advised by the local authority.

I'm not expecting the forum to be house buying experts, rather to confirm my view that this is probably not the case. Their future home doesn't back onto the railway which, in any case, seems a long way away from the houses that do. I appreciate earthworks could potentially be a problem - the railway *appears* to be on an embankment here, although I'm not sure, and nor are they.

So is there a major upgrade or renewal planned on this section of the WCML in the near future? Or is this one of (a) a legal requirement to notify the buyer of a nearby proposed rail project in a certain radius - which I'm guessing might be the Croxley Link (which, if anything, would probably boost their house value if it's ever built!) or (b) an unscrupulous attempt to upsell an unneeded search?

Thoughts and experiences much appreciated!

 

[Bertone]

Hello,

Asking for a friend, not for me. They're going through a house purchase on the east side of the railway just north of Watford Junction, near where the slow and fast lines split for the tunnels (Google map attached for simple reference - the house is somewhere in the marked area). They've been told by their solicitor they should get a "transportation search" from their surveyor. Surveyor's said no not required, and now the solicitor is playing silly buggers and has referred to "major works happening in the future" which might negatively impact the value of their home, as advised by the local authority.

I'm not expecting the forum to be house buying experts, rather to confirm my view that this is probably not the case. Their future home doesn't back onto the railway which, in any case, seems a long way away from the houses that do. I appreciate earthworks could potentially be a problem - the railway *appears* to be on an embankment here, although I'm not sure, and nor are they.

So is there a major upgrade or renewal planned on this section of the WCML in the near future? Or is this one of (a) a legal requirement to notify the buyer of a nearby proposed rail project in a certain radius - which I'm guessing might be the Croxley Link (which, if anything, would probably boost their house value if it's ever built!) or (b) an unscrupulous attempt to upsell an unneeded search?

Thoughts and experiences much appreciated!

Living a few miles up the WCML and reasonably familiar with Watford, I do keep my eye on issues regarding the railway and am not aware of any infrastructure changes in that particular area.
I’m sure the railway is in a cutting not embankment at this point. However, there was an embankment slip a few years ago but at the north end of the tunnel, well away from the area that is of interest.
The Croxley link, if ever built, is unlikely to be anywhere near.

 

[The Planner]

You are always going to get renewals etc happening, but there arent any other large pieces of work planned down there now Watford North Jn is in the ground.

 

[Dave W]

You are always going to get renewals etc happening, but there arent any other large pieces of work planned down there now Watford North Jn is in the ground.

I suspected as much - which leads me back to thinking there might be some legal requirement to advise of a proposal in x miles radius (even though, as @Bertone notes, the Croxley Link would have been nowhere near here).

Grateful for the correction that the line is in cutting, too - I'd only seen a grainy streetview picture which looked like the land rose beyond the houses backing the railway, but that may have been a treeline or even just a trick of the camera.

Many thanks both!

 

[59CosG95]

You are always going to get renewals etc happening, but there arent any other large pieces of work planned down there now Watford North Jn is in the ground.

ISTR that WCPSU is back on, but that's hardly going to affect anything outside of the cutting.

 

[The Planner]

ISTR that WCPSU is back on, but that's hardly going to affect anything outside of the cutting.

That is Bushey and all south of Watford.

 

[30907]

If works have been advised by the LA, as the solicitor apparently claims, would it be advisable to contact them?

 

[Sebastian O]

Unfortunately the searches can throw up some spurious results - I bought relatively close by to the proposed southern access/airtrack (plus the hundreds of other proposals) and it's still getting reported.

 

[swt_passenger]

Unfortunately the searches can throw up some spurious results - I bought relatively close by to the proposed southern access/airtrack (plus the hundreds of other proposals) and it's still getting reported.

Maybe someone Googled and hit that thread started in the speculation forum last October - the one where someone was suggesting opening out Watford Tunnels into a massive cutting. That would be major works by any reckoning…

 

[Tester]

Maybe someone Googled and hit that thread started in the speculation forum last October - the one where someone was suggesting opening out Watford Tunnels into a massive cutting. That would be major works by any reckoning…

Good spot - truth is stranger than fiction!

 

[Dave W]

If works have been advised by the LA, as the solicitor apparently claims, would it be advisable to contact them?

Thanks for this - quite right as the course of action, I just thought I'd close off any potential alternatives here, which was handsomely rewarding, as always!

I heard earlier this evening that my guess was mostly right - not a set radius or anything, but the LA had simply listed everything on their agenda rail wise - so just the Croxley Link.

Case closed - although I'd be interested how many people had "fallen for it" - the solicitors aren't local to Watford and so probably play it by the book; I'd expect a Watford based conveyancing firm to know better!

Once again, thanks to all for contributions.