A pensioner who has lived in her home for 40 years could lose almost all of her garden under plans to widen a busy road out of Huddersfield.

Delia Potts, 66, who lives in a Victorian house at the corner of Edgerton Road and Blacker Road, would be left with just 9ft of her 27ft garden under the controversial proposals.

She would lose 10ft permanently with another eight feet required “to work in” – leaving just eight or nine feet of land between her front door and the main road.

Part of her garden to the side of the house would also be lost as the junction would be re-modelled.

The retired NHS pharmacist, who is a breast cancer survivor, said she would be left with “b****r all”. She said: “I will be left with eight or nine feet and out of that is going to be the garden wall, so there’s not going to be an awful lot left.”

Delia Potts of 3 Edgerton Road, angry over Kirklees plans to compulsory purchase her land and remove most of her garden.

Delia said she was “appalled” by the proposals to widen the junction – part of plans to reduce congestion along the A629 Halifax Road between Huddersfield town centre and the M62.

Delia, has lived at the three-bedroomed semi-detached property for more than 40 years, but only bought it in 1991.

She said losing so much land would significantly devalue the property. “I am not happy about it because my intention would be to downsize in six or eight years time and have some money from the sale of the house to have a good retirement.”

She said Kirklees had argued that one reason for widening the road was to improve air quality, but she said: “How is having a double decker bus or HGV outside my window going to improve my air quality?”

Officials plan to spend £10m on the scheme to widen the major junctions along the two-and-half-mile route.

Delia Potts of 3, Edgerton Road, angry over Kirklees plans to compulsory purchase her land and remove most of her garden.

Letters were sent to the owners of 18 properties along the Halifax Road corridor on January 5 saying that their land would be needed “to deliver these benefits to the thousands of people who use this route on a daily basis”.

It said: “At this stage, it is not anticipated that we would need to purchase the whole property. The land we need will mainly consist of parts of gardens and parts of land next to the route.”

Other properties affected include private houses and the grounds of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints at the Cavalry Arms junction of Halifax Road with East Street and Birkby Road.

Delia accused the council of being “high-handed” and said: “By their tone it seems they want it to be as done deal – and no arguments.”

Several residents affected by the plan are meeting tonight (TUES) at the home of Lindley ward councillor Gemma Wilson to discuss the proposals and forward their comments to Kirklees.

Last summer, the Examiner reported that Kirklees Council is bidding to create an £850,000 fund to buy the plots it needs for the scheme around the two main crossroads.

The crossroads on the route at Blacker Road/Edgerton Grove Road and East Street/Birkby Road are the main focus of the project which will both be altered to increase capacity. The scheme will also see parking banned between the Cavalry Arms and Birchencliffe Hill Road.