Lord Bracknell
On fire
We've just had a visit from a very nice man from Atkins Rail to inform us (that's the Bracknell household and our neighbours) that Network Rail will be closing our road for the whole of next week (starting at midnight on Sunday) to allow them to dig up and replace the level crossing that we have to use to get convenient access to the outside world.
Obviously it would have been better to have had a bit more notice - since this will be incredibly inconvenient. They have offered to maintain pedestrian access across the level crossing (ring a bell and someone will check that it is safe, and the gate through the fence that they will erect will be opened). And they will provide us with a parking space the other side of the railway (with a promise that the contractors' plant won't block it).
But they've also made another offer. Three options have been suggested.
1. We stay at home and live with the inconvenience;
2. They put us and our neighbours up in a hotel for the week; or
3. They pay us the cost of hotel accommodation and leave us to make our own arrangements.
What would NSC advise? We've been asked to make a decision by Friday (tomorrow).
Obviously it would have been better to have had a bit more notice - since this will be incredibly inconvenient. They have offered to maintain pedestrian access across the level crossing (ring a bell and someone will check that it is safe, and the gate through the fence that they will erect will be opened). And they will provide us with a parking space the other side of the railway (with a promise that the contractors' plant won't block it).
But they've also made another offer. Three options have been suggested.
1. We stay at home and live with the inconvenience;
2. They put us and our neighbours up in a hotel for the week; or
3. They pay us the cost of hotel accommodation and leave us to make our own arrangements.
What would NSC advise? We've been asked to make a decision by Friday (tomorrow).
