Pensioner Faces Distress Over Proposed £6 Million Tunnel for A417 Road Project

Brian Garlick, a 69-year-old pensioner, is grappling with the potential construction of an extravagant 'private' tunnel to access his home, which might ultimately cost taxpayers between £4 million and £6 million. This development comes in the wake of the ongoing construction of the A417 Missing Link, a new three-mile dual carriageway set to connect Gloucester and Cirencester, making it difficult for him to reach his property after National Highways retracted their previous offer of £750,000 to purchase his home.

Currently, Brian is living in a caravan at a nearby park, reporting that he needs to give a 21-day notice just to visit the house where he has spent most of his life. He expressed his amazement at the tunnel proposal, initially thinking it was excessive, yet understanding it might be their only viable option. The authority behind the project has stated that the tunnel was always integrated into the planning to facilitate access to essential infrastructure and manage local drainage.

Despite the project's claims, Mr. Garlick asserts he was made an offer for his house that was later retracted with the excuse that the property was outside the acquisition boundary. He has been vocal about the poor handling of his case, revealing that the responsibility for many expenses, including council tax and utilities for his home, falls solely on him, while he only receives assistance with campsite fees from the contractors. He pointed out that National Highways has not provided him with any apologies nor communicated with him since their last visit.

The broader A417 project, valued at £460 million, aims to relieve congestion at the troubled single-carriageway section near Birdlip and is projected for completion by 2027. Despite the challenges, Brian acknowledges the anticipated improvements once the construction is finished, although he questions how the noise levels will be managed, noting that additional noise-reduction measures for his house will not occur until a year after the road opens. Local residents have also voiced their frustrations over noise disruptions associated with the project, with some expressing concerns about how they will endure living with it before effective solutions are implemented. National Highways' project manager Steve Foxley mentioned that thorough discussions were held with Mr. Garlick before construction began to determine an acceptable way to address the inconveniences he faced.