Residents in Wistaston say their lives are being made a misery by noise and vibration from a building development near their homes, writes Jonathan White.
The disruption has been caused by several days of impact hammer pile driving on the 150 dwelling Bellway ‘Kingfisher Reach’ housing development.
The contractor – Sheet Piling (UK) Ltd – is using an impact hammer technique to drive more than 50 long support steel piles into dense soil adjacent to Wistaston Green Road, Wistaston.
The piles will provide a terraced area to prevent new build houses slipping down the bank towards Wistaston Brook.
The process started on Wednesday (July 22) and with a break for the weekend is due to be completed on Tuesday July 28 – five working days in total.
Local householders – many who are self-isolating or working from home during the coronavirus crisis – have taken to social media to vent their anger with many complaining about the constant, intolerable loud banging noise from the machinery that causes their houses to ‘shake’ and also produces a ‘sonic boom’ of noise.
There are separate reports of the pile driving noise being heard over a mile away from the construction site.
A resident of nearby Windermere Road, who wished to remain anonymous, said: “I am a key-worker on a night-shift and the constant noise from 8.30am to 5pm over several days has been horrendous.
“The vibration has been so bad at times in my house that ornaments and books on shelves have been moving and pictures on walls have been rattling.
“It sometimes feels like a train is running through my home!
“I have tried earplugs to get some sleep, but they have not worked.
“The noise from the hammering also produces a sonic boom effect which reverberates around the estate. Bellway do not care about the local people!”
A representative from Bellway said: “The contractors will not be working over the weekend and have informed us that work should be completed by Tuesday [28th July].”
(Images courtesy of Jonathan White)
I’m having this exact problem in Chelmsford. Construction noise unbearable and I’m a night shift worker. My house is 121 years old and god knows what this is doing to it.
Bellway do not give a toss about local residents, they also lie about changes they will be making. We lost our only parking bay although being reassured that would not happen. Living in a city centre there is nowhere else to park, no doubt new residents will have allocated spaces. Only lived here 24 years!!!
I can only sympathise. As a resident of Hughes Drive, Crewe we had this disruption throughout the WHOLE of lockdown due to the housing development on the Bombardier site. I couldn’t open the windows or doors until the noise finally ended at 6pm and the house vibrations throughout the day were horrendous. We had NHS workers close by who were unable to sleep and not being able to go anywhere made matters worse. It seemed to be the only housing development still working during lockdown!!
We have decided not to go ahead with a house purchase here after the rumours of house slides.
Dear Bellway,
We were looking to buy one of your properties but since you have shown disregard towards the local population and your new properties are probably going to slide down the hill in 10 years time, the answer is NO!
Also my parents bought a Bellway and it took them 5 years to get you to finish it off properly!
Regards,
Robert Speece