Spanish home demolished for rail link

A British couple living in Almeria, Spain could see their home demolished to make way for a new rail link. The Telegraph has reported that Richard and Wendy Kaleta were given planning permission to build their luxuary home in Turre, on the Costa Almeria, despite the proposal four months earlier of a rail link on the land they had bought. Now they and three other British couples have been told their properties will be demolished, with no compensation being offered for their buildings.

The Kaletas decided to sell their home in Southampton in May 2001 and retire to Spain. Their new four-bedroom villa was completed in Jan 2003.

According to the local planning office, the proposed route of the AVE high-speed rail link was made public in Dec 2001, four months before the Kaletas were given permission to build. The project was finally approved last autumn and it wasn’t until last year that the Kaletas learned of the plans.

The couple feel they were let down when they bought the land from a local estate agent, who is also a former mayor of the town.

Four out of the twelve houses in the rural development on the outskirts of Turre are to be demolished to make way for the rail link. The remaining houses will find themselves living in close proximity to rail tracks where trains will travel at speeds in excess of 155mph.

“We have been told that we will probably be offered compensation for the cost of the land only and not the value of the property itself…” said Mr Kaleta. “It really is heartbreaking to watch our dream turn sour. We could end up with nothing.”