Residents claim their lives’ are being made hell because of work to build 200 new homes in picturesque part of Redditch.
A number of residents have expressed deep concerns about safety, noise, and disruption experienced by the building of new homes in Church Road/Pumphouse Lane in Webheath – a sought after area of the town.
The controversial plans to build the homes, by developers Taylor Wimpey and Barratt Homes, were granted at the end of 2015 following a public inquiry after Redditch Council’s planning committee refused the application.
Work on the development has only just begun but there are already a number of concerns.
Fuming residents claim digging, drilling and deliveries are going on outside of permitted hours, including one incident of a cement lorry trying to turn a corner at a time young children were let out of a nearby school.
People have also had to put up with noise into the night, roads blocked by delivery trucks, and speeding lorries.
One resident, because of the dirt, dust and grit settling continually upon his family’s cars, has had to get his cleaning bills paid by Taylor Wimpey.
Resident Ken Best, who lives opposite the site, called the situation a “nightmare”.
“Everyone on Church Road has been suffering because of this development,” he said.
“There has been mud on the roads making it unsafe, lorries blocking roads, and dirt and dust everywhere, all the time.
“There has been no consultation, all of us have been ignored.”
Resident David Rose, who lives half a mile away, said: “For weeks all I could hear was loud banging.
“This land is a patchwork of clay and sand. Where there is sand, they will have to do a great deal of piling to try to find solid ground for foundations.
“Residents are concerned that thousands of additional vehicles (including buses and large lorries) will increase probability of driver and pedestrian accidents in Webheath and Bentley, culminating in death or serious injury.”
Mr Rose, chairman of Webheath Action Group which is fighting to stop building on land in the area, admitted “I’m thoroughly depressed about the whole situation.”
A spokesman from Taylor Wimpey said the company will do all it can to minimise noise disruption for residents, and apologised for any inconvenience caused.
Article originally published by the Redditch Advertiser.
