[Closed] Living next to a building site.

Contact the council

I think there is a reasonable time thing of about 07:30 /08:00 start.

Other than that I am not sure what can be done. Building work is noisy.

Check their planning approval. Working hours are sometimes listed as a Condition.

What can the council do?They gave my housing provider planning permission for the project.The mayor is also in with my housing group.I wonder if I should consult a lawyer.I could maybe get my housing group to pay for relocation.Thabks for your replies.

I,m also at home most of the day as well.I study/work at home for a living so this is going to be difficult. I might just have to cut my losses and run.

Not much you can really do if it's after half 7 in the morning. Unless it's loud at night or possibly on weekends depending on the local authorities bylawys, environmental health won't be interested.

Are the contractors 'Considerate Constructors' registered? There are things they should be doing to minimise disruption to surrounding residents, but sadly noisy work is noisy work and not a lot can be done to make it quieter.

What can the council do?

They have a statutory obligation to deal with noise complaints, including from construction sites. If you are dissatisfied with their response you have the right to contact the ombudsman.

https://www.croydon.gov.uk/environment/noise-pollution-and-air-quality/noise/construction-sites

Are the contractors ‘Considerate Constructors’ registered?

Lolz. HS2 sites have those signs. What a ******* joke! 😂

Once the piling is done the actual construction isn't too bad (I lived on a new-build estate that was still under construction at the time). The biggest irritation is the constant sound of warning beepers from reversing vehicles.

You could try getting the construction company to stick triple glazing in on the side facing the work.

Are you the only person living next to the site? What does everyone else think?

Well I live on one of those small village sprawling housing estates so been constant building going on for the 15 years or so since I've been here. Far enough away from the actual building work for it not to be a nuisance as my house was in the first phase, but fairly regular power cuts/interruptions are a PITA as they start tapping into the power supply especially since I've been working from home.

On the upside I find that occasionally bits of the infrastructure get upgraded. A while back the sewers saw a huge upgrade to cope with the increase in housing as before it was struggling and recently the internet infrastructure got a big upgrade to cope with the increase in demand so overnight my broadband speed doubled for free. I'm actually now consistently achieving the speeds I'm actually paying for...for now at least.

So pro's and cons but its temporary. They chuck houses up pretty quickly these days.

They're building about 300m from us just now, but the ground in between will soon be broken for a big development which is going to take 3 or 4 years. I'm slightly dreading it. Our past two houses we've moved in halfway through site build so lived with the immediate noise. It's not horrific, but it's constant banging and beeping. Not much that we can do about it, just have to grin and bear it. Also, back then, building was at times we'd be away at work. Now we're working from home it'll be constant.

Agree the piling is the worst bit.

Ask the neighbours what they did when your house was being built?

Check the planning conditions, there may be time slots for construction.

Not much you can do other than what's already been suggested.

Check the planning permission for working hours, speak directly to the contractor regards your concerns, and council planning dept if they are in breach.
If the contractors ‘Considerate Constructors’ registered then they should work with you and let you know when it'll be especially noisy.

Piling will be quick, it's usually traffic, or inconsiderate contractor parking complaints after that. 3months and the buildings will be up, 5 months and they'll be done.

Noise cancelling headphones? Serious suggestion. Might work if you're not on the phone all day etc.

I wonder if I should consult a lawyer.I could maybe get my housing group to pay for relocation.Thabks for your replies.

I'm not sure how a lawyer would help if the council can't? Its either legal/permitted/acceptable or its not. I've never dealt with a housing association but I assume they have enough demand that if you want to move out they'll be delighted - paying you to relocate because there are a few weeks very noisy work and a few months less noisy work seems unlikely. If you go all out to really upset them you may discover there is a clause in your lease that means you can't technically work from home anyway!

Other than that I am not sure what can be done. Building work is noisy.

This. Unless the hours being worked are outside of those allowed don't bother wasting your own time and the council employees time by putting in spurious complaints. Even if they are, think about whether the work starting slightly later or finishing slightly earlier each day would really make a noticeable difference.
More houses are needed and building them is noisy. If it seems like a long term thing then moving is probably your best option. I say all this as someone who had, literally, years of seven day a week major building projects in very close proximity when I lived in London.

We've been living through this for the last year - thankfully the buildings are slightly away from us and don't *directly* cause issues, but the construction traffic (and associated utilities) have been a constant source of stress with the road closed off from one side for a year and regular occasions of works vehicles blocking the road. Just this morning I missed my train because they decided to place a wagon in the road (infilling the latest set of road digging).

I remain astounded at the sheer amount of house building that is going on everywhere - where did all these people live before all these extra houses were built?

It's the muck on the road I hate, loads of lorries moving earth in and out so they have a road sweeper with water jet running 8 hours a day ensuring the roads are clean, which really means continually covered in a uniform thin film of slime. Total PITA cycling on them.

It's pretty much what it is unfortunately.
I don't live on a new build, my cottage is about 200 years old, but we've been surrounded by building work for the last 8 or so years. It wears thin.

Attached neighbours re roofed their house, constructed a doormer, then had to take it down and rebuild. Then they ripped out the internals and remodelled. Did it all himself and friends, so it took about 18months.

About 2 months after that a big house was built to the rear of ours, that took about a year.

Then the adjacent cottage was sold and the new owner re roofed it properly, and rejigged internally. Another 6 months.

House about 100m away underwent full refurb and extension, sone still ongoing

Lockdown project for big house behind was a BBQ/pizza house. So it's been sawing, hammering, drilling since the first lockdown.

Adjacent neighbour but one building an extension, new windows and re cladding the house.

Nice and quiet leafy neighborhood.

I get worried about doing percussive bike maintenance at 8am

Feel for you mate.

I've got a lot of building work near me. The bungalows on my road had quite generous plots and a lot of the folk in them reaching the age where they move out to care homes or pass away. Developers are knocking them down and putting two detached houses on the plots. There are currently 8 houses being built within about 200 meters.

The noise is bad at the start but does reduce a lot as the work goes on. As somebody else mentioned above, the main thing for me is the roads being blocked by cranes and vans. Made me late for work a few times.
I've had trades parking their vans actually on my drive blocking both my cars in then ****ing off without leaving a note. Nobody from the sites knew whose van it was, then mysteriously somebody came and moved it when my neighbour started hooking up his tow rope to it.

Boils the urine.

Having just been made to revalidate my Environmental Pollution training then for sound pollution things that are noisy by nature are not considered pollution unless outside of reasonable hours (example given to be 0700 - 1900 hrs for construction).

You can complain but I very much doubt you will get anywhere with it.

Do I have any rights to peace and quiet

Our little cul-de-sac is being extended atm, and my OH has been WFH the whole time - the actual house construction really isn't too bad, and we've only had one instance where we had a trench across the drive and needed to get a car off; I politely asked for an additional trench plate and it was duly supplied (along with a thanks from the project management company for not breaking Rule 1 over it).

Houses need to be built, and they're mostly going to be built near existing residential areas. If they're abiding by the noise regulation rules, suck it up.

so they have a road sweeper with water jet running

We lived on the front of a new build estate that was still being built when we moved out 5 years later.
Building noise was never really an issue, but they were never building directly near us for the majority of it.
However, the road sweeper that came at 8am every Sunday morning without fail used to drive me nuts.

As others have said, once the initial piling is done you'll probably soon get used to the general background noise. They had to build the house you are living in at some point and that probably annoyed people living nearby at the time.

where did all these people live before all these extra houses were built?

Mother’s womb/parents houses

U.K. population rising. Gotta go somewhere it seems.

where did all these people live before all these extra houses were built?

Three trends:

1. UK Population rising (although Brexit & CV-19 have caused a dip - not shown on this graph).

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2. UK Household sizes falling

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3. UK Urbanisation increasing

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All three mean we need more houses in/near cities......

I can never understand how people get themselves worked up like this. You bought a new build house on a housing estate. What did you think was going to happen? New builds are built on brownfield sites these days and i expect you will be looking at constant building over the years to come. I bought a new build house on a housing estate 20yrs ago and i am just in the middle of doing the same. On and off there has been construction in the area around us constantly. Its no big deal, its progress and it allows people to buy new houses. They usually can be kept in check to work to the hours they have to and any missunderstanding can be cleared up pretty quickly.

I recently had to report a worker who kept taking a shortcut in his dumper truck along a pathway and was killing the green area for the sake of 5 mins time saved. Havent seen him do it since and i expect the 10 men it took a days work to come and assess and reseed all the grass and put it right was enough for him to get the message.

If it narks you that much, sell up and see if you can buy an older house on an established site where there is no chance of new build work. Otherwise, its just a fact of life, let them get on with their work

I can never understand how people get themselves worked up like this. You bought a new build house on a housing estate. What did you think was going to happen?

This.

If you’re going to give up in life enough to buy a soulless new build then surely all your senses must be dulled to a point where you don’t notice there things anyway? 😂

Didn't buy....which you would have realised if you'd bothered reading the previous comments.

Housing provider. OK so its even less of a big deal. If you havent got a big lease then move. If you have then use the noise as a reason to try to end it.

If its some other reason to be provided to you, keep on moaning but maybe appreciate what you have

FFS the OP is perfectly entitled to expect a reasonable quality of life whilst building work is being carried out nearby.

Building contractors don't have a carte blanche to be as noisy as they like during construction.

From my link :

"Regardless of the time of day, the responsible party must use best practicable means to minimise the noise."

Yes building work can be inconvenient, but it doesn't mean that there is no limit to the inconvenience.

Dont bother educating the trolls on here ernie.They dont want to help/sympathise,there just interested in being childish.I think Cougars sociopathy might be catching.

Regardless of the time of day, the responsible party must use best practicable means to minimise the noise.”

Hand digging foundations

Hand batching cement

Block and tackle to get stuff up the scaffolding

Just need an Amish work crew who don’t believe in the wonders of technology cause any other crew gonna walk

I can never understand how people get themselves worked up like this

Housing provider. OK so its even less of a big deal. If you havent got a big lease then move. If you have then use the noise as a reason to try to end it.

If its some other reason to be provided to you, keep on moaning but maybe appreciate what you have

I'm not sure you understand the realities of housing association rental. Perhaps people less fortunate than you don't have the same luxury of choice if they are unhappy with their surroundings?

Hand digging foundations

Hand batching cement

Block and tackle to get stuff up the scaffolding

Do you think that's what they had in mind in my link?

What do you think they meant when they said "best practicable means"?

Mind you I think the OPs last comment is valid. I'm not really sure why I'm engaging. Apart maybe to show the OP that not everyone who read his question wants to give him stick.

I've lived in my current house for 10 years now. We were here 1 year when they started building 48 new houses on the land at the bottom of the cult de sac, 4 houses down from us. They were the 2 most miserable years of my life, the constant din of of dumper trucks reversing became depressing to the point that I can't hear one now without feeling angry. The answer from the council when I complained that the constant lorry traffic breaking branches off the trees along our small road was the Highways depth would have to come out and cut them down! Once it starts it's like an unstoppable roller coaster. Make sure you know what the builders have agreed to as far as working times etc and report them if they don't abide by them.

Do you think that’s what they had in mind in my link?

What do you think they meant when they said “best practicable means”

Tbh my point was more...what do you think is practible for builders to do things quietly.

But yet those subjected to living next to it become hypersensitised to what is essential noise

It's not fun but unfortunately it happens. Was a pain when they dug up and resurfaced my road but you realise they can't do that without noise ...

It's rare these days t find them burning diesel for the fun due to cost if nothing else

The answer from the council when I complained that the constant lorry traffic breaking branches off the trees along our small road was the Highways depth would have to come out and cut them down!

What did you expect them to do ? Teleport the stuff in ?

We need more houses* weneed more houses*

*But not near me

@ trail_rat, no just drive them in without wrecking the surrounding fauna.

Surely that can't occur unless the branch's are encroaching on the carriageway ? Or were they driving on the pavement.

Ok
Now for some actual helpful advice.
Professional builders are covered under the loval environmental health office.
In my area, they can differ, no noise should project beyond the property boundary between 0800 and 1700 monday thru Friday
Saturday is 0800 thru 1300.
Sundays and bank holidays is noise at all, so unless they are wallpapering these are the permissions allowed
Your local eho will have a team member on standby who is able to stop them making a racket if its 0800 on a Sunday

If you can get them to come out

I worked a site few years back where one nearby resident complained about orange light atop the forklift being on before eight .. there is always one 🙄

^ Strange how builders and construction companies don't give a toss about the people they affect.If it was on their families doorstep it would be a different matter of course.
In a civilised country nobody would be subjected to the greed of others.

Contact the local authority environmental health officer and the principal contractors environmental advisor, ask the eho what mitigations were in the palnning consent and and ask the environmental advisor for a copy of their environmental management plan. If you're not a smart arse or confrontational I'll bet they'll jump through hoops to do what they can. Previously Ive had reversing alarms altered, different plant used/hired in, critical times avoided for deliveries/operations to protect night shift workers, additional sound barriers put in place and people put up in temporary accommodation (in the most extreme emergency works conditions). That said the best practicable option might be just regular communication on when particularly noisy stuff (piling/breaking out/tipper deliveries) happens so you can plan around it. I've been an Environmental advisor for nearly twenty years and if you're prepared to work with them the contractors will almost certainly work with you.

Thanks stabaliser some sensible advice there.Pity I have to do all the digging and it isnt provided for tenants automatically.

Pity I have to do all the digging and it isnt provided for tenants automatically.

It's pretty awful living next to a building site, but if you want something sorted out, you've got to roll up your sleeves and get involved.

If it's being done under a new planning permission and it's adjacent to your house, you should have been notified. If you're immediately adjacent, you should have had a letter. If it's a bit further away, you'll have been expected to have spotted the obscure notice zip-tied to a gate or lamp post. The planning permission in a residential area will usually should cover acceptable site working hours, and times for deliveries.

Do be aware that getting them to stick rigidly to these times can be a double edged sword. A recent build just up the road from us had a restriction on delivery times as part of the permissions - pretty normal. The neighbour next to the site kicked off early in the job when a delivery turned up a little early. From that point onwards, when deliveries turned up early - as they usually did - the trucks would go to site, get turned away, then park up some distance from the site and wait - usually with the engine running - until the site was allowed to accept the delivery.

I do feel for you OP, construction work is noisy and dirty and having large scale construction going on nearby doesn't make for a pleasant environment, but as other shave posted, houses need to be built. And going back to your original post, your housing provider did arrange alternative accommodation for you during the noisiest part of the works.

As with most things in life, a little flexibility - on both sides - can help make things a little less unpleasant for all concerned.

My hopeless housing provider told me the piling work will be finished on the 26th of May.It continues today and next Tuesday!
Could one of you tell me the email address for the CEO of Engie group?I would like to pass on my kexperiences so far of her Caring Contractors. Thanks for tour replies so far.

Funny that people don't like stuff being done, but are happy to reap the rewards from the same stuff having being done previously.

People in our local community complained about digging up some fields to build houses, whilst at the same time living in houses that were themselves built on dug-up fields relatively recently. So it's ok for builders to dig up fields for YOUR house, but not for anyone else's?

Whilst I have some sympathy for you OP you are beginning to come across as a little entitled.

Your housing association is responsible for providing you a roof over your head. The fact there is building works near by is not they fault nor concern really. They have put you up in alternative accommodation for the duration of the planned piling but it sounds like the contractors have had issues which have led to an overrun. This is not the housing associations fault and certainly does not constitute them being useless. Neither is it their responsibility to provide you will all the information nor deal with the contractors to ensure the environmental obligations are being met.

The onus here is entirely on you as the affected resident to find out this information and report any breaches of the contractors environmental permissions (that is if any breaches are actually occurring).

You have been told how to do this by TheStabiliser and others. All this information will be available through the local planning portal including the contact details for the contractor where you can get in contact with their Environmental Officer.

Expecting everyone else to sort this for you (including providing you with the CEOs email address) then contacting then CEO directly rather than following the advice provided is not going to get you the response you want.

There will be some leg work involved to interact with the contractors and ensure the noise is as low as reasonably practicable but there will be noise and sometimes things such as piling will take a day or two longer than planned. Unfortunately that is just life.

Funny that people don’t like stuff being done, but are happy to reap the rewards from the same stuff having being done previously.

People in our local community complained about digging up some fields to build houses, whilst at the same time living in houses that were themselves built on dug-up fields relatively recently. So it’s ok for builders to dig up fields for YOUR house, but not for anyone else’s?

@molgrips funny, isnt it.

I live in a brand new house. Out of the window now, I can see scaffolding, concrete wagons, Electricicans vans etc. And guess what, 6 months ago, they were building my house, and thats what my neighbours 100yrds up the estate were lookin at.

I remember reading through all the documentation on the planning portal before buying, including all the complaints that read...

"I understand we need to build more houses. Just dont build them near me"

Or my personal favourites were the...

You cant build there, its beautiful countryside

from someone who lives on the estate built 20 years ago. Which backs onto a flat featureless muddy agricultural brown field used primarily as a dog toilet.

Closely followed by all the self-righteous type nonsense as also demonstrated here...

If you’re going to give up in life enough to buy a soulless new build then surely all your senses must be dulled to a point where you don’t notice there things anyway?

Giving up on life. Right.

They are people - building houses (safe, efficient, comfortable and practical ones) so that other people (young people, families, the elderly...) can live in them.

FFS the OP is perfectly entitled to expect a reasonable quality of life whilst building work is being carried out nearby.

I undertand the OPs concern, as I am going through this exact thing myself currently, including working from home for the past year.

But I struggle to understand people who think that general building noise, bit of piling, reversing beepers etc during working hours, isnt 'reasonable'.

Old houses were new once. And they don't actually have 'soul' or anything like it, they are just empty buildings. A home is made by the people in it, and that is going on inside every new build house right now. We started a family in this new build house, it's the genesis of the world for my daughters, it's their sanctuary, their base, their security. My youngest was born in it. So don't tell me it's got no soul please thanks.

I can't stand snobs.

On a positive note, we were the first on this street so we were surrounded by building for a fair while. The piling was a bit loud but didn't go on for that long and once done it was fairly reasonable. As said, the vehicles driving up and down were the loudest part.

Bravo to Molgrips and Snotrag.

Had to laugh at the troll comments. Saying i needed to put myself in the OP shoes. I have been in the OP shoes for the last 20yrs. Big truck deliveries, early morning starts, dirty roads being cleaned on Friday afternoons etc etc. I can live with it, i am moving to another building site 🙂

At the end of the day they are working people providing a service which i think is important. I have kids who i want to be able to buy their own house eventually and unless they keep building, i dont see it happening. If it spoils a bit of sleep or ruins someone's privileged view i dont really care. They have rules in place to work to which are deemed sociable. If not you are quite within your rights to pull them on it. I am a working man who leaves for work each day and when i return they are usually gone. Do the rules now need changed for all the privileged people working from home who dont want to put up with the construction noise?

If you’re going to give up in life enough to buy a soulless new build then surely all your senses must be dulled to a point where you don’t notice there things anyway?

Troll or just a tosser?

I'm going to turn the question around slightly; OP - what do you actually want as your ideal outcome, and how reasonable do you think that is?

- Noisy work to only be carried out within permitted hours? Perfectly reasonable, if they're not abiding by that already.

- Reduction in noise levels of construction work? Not going to happen, the methods being used will already have been approved by the council.

- Being moved to alternate accommodation for the entire duration of the works? Not going to happen, in fact I'd say you were lucky to be moved during the piling. If you were a homeowner rather than housing association tenant you wouldn't have had the choice other than to relocate temporarily at your own expense.

- Construction to be cancelled entirely? Yeah, no.