A MOTHER of two fears Christmas for her family may be “undeliverable” after a series of presents never made it to her home by courier because a major government project had blocked access.
Mrs Janey Wall said she was “seething” having discovered deliveries of Christmas presents had failed to reach her family property on Bottom House Farm Lane, in Chalfont St Giles, because HS2 had ‘closed the way indefinitely’.
On three occasions, companies were unable to deliver parcels to her home containing festive gifts because a ‘mess of cones and signage’ had ‘blocked access at both ends of the lane’.
READ MORE: HS2 horror story: Family on brink as ‘vast and ugly’ haul road swallows up view
A postman, who also had trouble getting to her door, eventually made a delivery on their third attempt, she said.
Mrs Wall said she has even been out “waving a torch” at drivers trying to drop off food shopping.
“I did phone the HS2 community liaison person,” said Mrs Wall. “I’m afraid I was furious.
“She was sympathetic and has herself since been in touch with [the company] about my delivery.
“But she said HS2 would not be removing the cones and reopening the lane at the river end. I don’t understand this. It’s a public highway.”
Mrs Wall also took to Twitter on December 11, calling out HS2 for the blunder: “Sorry kids,” she wrote.
“It seems Christmas is undeliverable. HS2 have blocked off our lane and switched to the new haul road. In the mess of cones, barriers, signs, traffic lights, I suspect drivers struggle to find the house.”
“That’s crazy, they can’t block access to your home. Bunch of cowboys,” someone replied.
Then, on December 14, Mrs Wall tweeted: “I am seething about this now. Why has HS2 blocked off both ends of our bit of lane with ‘Road Closed’ signs?
“No wonder delivery drivers are not making it. DPD say they ‘missed us’ today but three family members were at home.”
She added: “Stopping us getting Christmas deliveries is not what you expect of ‘good neighbours’.
Mrs Wall said her husband Phil works from home five days a week and his study looks out onto the drive. “He could not miss a DPD truck,” she said.
This is not the family’s first trouble with HS2. Mr and Mrs Wall have also witnessed the land outside their property transformed as HS2 installed a “temporary” haul road for the ventilation shaft.
Where once there were views of grazing horses and the River Misbourne beyond, now sits a “vast ugly embankment”.
“We have lost our peace, our privacy, our view. Our home is totally blighted, potentially permanently. And now, in the middle of a pandemic, I can’t even get Christmas presents delivered,” said Mrs Wall.
In response, an HS2 spokesperson said “at no point” was the lane itself closed. “Residents and their visitors had access at all times,” they added.
“Access to the properties on Bottom House Farm Lane has been maintained throughout our works with clear signage in place to direct drivers down the new temporary access road,” said HS2.
“We are aware of issues with delivery drivers and have, where possible, contacted the companies involved to brief them on the road layout. Residents were informed before the changes were made, we are working closely with the local highways authority and extra signage is also being put in place on the main road.”
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