Furious homeowners say new-build estate is making their lives 'absolute hell'

Homeowners living near a new-build estate have voiced their frustration as construction has turned their lives into 'hell' with 'dust storms' and 'earthquakes' attacking their homes.

Residents living in Glen Parva, Leicestershire claim they are at their wits end due to the disruption caused by building work for the 165-house estate. They say there is 'constant noise' coming from piling works as well as dust and debris coming over from the development site which sits yards from their homes

Others claim the vibrations have been causing damage to their properties, likening the drilling work to experiencing an 'earthquake'. Concerns are also mounting among the community about potential health risks, given the disturbed land was previously contaminated.

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Helen Ross, 70, who is a grandmother of four, said: "We are not NIMBY's, I want to stress that but this had been absolute hell. The pile driving was the first issue that came up. That involves this horrible crashing that goes on and on."

"Because the land is unstable, and the reason it is because it was landfill, they're having to pile drive to stabilise. It disturbs people working from home, people who are retired or people with autistic children. It goes on all day - it's horrible."

Helen explained: "My property is only three metres from the site. The other big issue is the dust. We went away for ten days in August, and when we got back the whole house was covered in red dust. The cars were covered.

"The big question people are asking is what is in that dust. I have emailed Blaby District Council three times but I've had no response. I wanted to know if the dust had been tested for particulates and chemicals since it had been disturbed.

"These piles are driving in 20ft dust clouds they're huge. There are people coming out in funny skin complaints, people with chest complaints because of the dust."

Helen added: "There are autistic children being sent bonkers by the noise and one child who has to have oxygen at night. This is a small residential area, there's only one way in and out. The lorries cover everything in mud too."

"There's plenty of damage in the road. Some people are saying they've got cracks developing. At one point the vibrations were like an earthquake.

"During the dry weather we've not been able to use the garden because of the dust. One of my friends has small grandchildren and they came in with red socks. It was horrible, you could see and taste the dust. Sometimes you could see the dust coming up, in clouds."

Helen then claimed: "Someone told me it was going to be four years. I'm not exaggerating when I say it has absolutely ruined our summer. We want compensation. They took down a load of trees so any screening from this is gone."

Richard Woodley, a 70 year old businessman and grandfather of two, added: "They're pile driving until the end of the year and its already been going on 12 months."

Residents are up in arms over the dust and disruption caused by a local construction site. One local said: "The dust is awful. When it's dry it's awful, when it's wet it's mud. The lorries bring the mud with them off the site."

He continued to express his frustration, saying:"The dust gets everywhere. The wife can't put the washing out. I clean the car on Friday night and by the morning it's dirty."

The impact on health is also a concern: "It's causing difficulties to breathing, it's affecting people around here. It's difficult and it's not going to stop. We're not getting anything from Vistry. We had a public meeting where 100 people attended. Vistry are remarkable in their distance. They're not interacting with the locals."

Describing his proximity to the disturbance, he added, "The little bit of road I'm on there's a dead-end and I'm about 30ft away from the site. This field was originally a quarry tip. There's methane coming out of the ground."

Doubts about the future of the site were raised: "I can't imagine anyone would want to buy a house on there. It's on unstable ground. Now it's a dirty site."

Reflecting on the changes to the landscape, he noted, "It was a big field that everyone used to enjoy. Now it's going to be 165 houses and they're asking to do another 26. It's going to be pretty awful getting in and out of this area."

Lisa Ellis, 55, chimed in with her experience: "It's an intrusive, constant, pounding noise which you can't ignore. Where I'm situated which is further down the road, I almost get two beats, so I get the beat of the piling and an echo, so it's a very intrusive, echoing, pounding noise."

Another resident, James Hill, 34, commented on the environmental impact: "You get these huge clouds of dirt coming over - like a dust storm. I cannot be healthy surely."

Blaby District Councillor Ande Savage, clearly frustrated, took to Facebook to voice his concerns: "Who in their right mind builds houses on a landfill site, and who is actually going to buy them? " He lamented the consequences of what he termed a "crazy decision to grant planning permission" by adding, "Now, we're left with the aftermath of this crazy decision to grant planning permission."

Savage detailed the disturbances endured by residents: "Constant noise from the ongoing piling work, because it's a landfill, lorries arriving at all hours, dust and dirt everywhere. It's unbearable! ".

In response to the backlash, a Vistry spokesperson insisted on the companys commitment to the local area: "Vistry Group East Midlands has started work to deliver a new development of 165 much-needed family homes at Glen Parva in Leicestershire."

They explained the essential groundwork involved: "As with most large-scale construction projects, the initial phase of the development involves advanced remediation works including piling."

The spokesperson defended the process stating, "The remediation currently being done is necessary and in accordance with the agreed planning permission to ensure a clean and stable platform is available on which the new homes will be built."

Eager to maintain goodwill with local citizens, the Vistry spokesperson stated, "We take seriously the concerns of the local community and are keen to foster positive relationships throughout the project and would encourage anyone impacted by the work to contact our customer service team."

They also mentioned ongoing efforts to communicate with those affected: "Our site manager will continue to keep in touch with our site neighbours to update them on progress."

Additionally, they highlighted safety measures being undertaken: "We are taking all necessary precautions during the early groundworks and are carrying out continuous noise and vibration monitoring on site to ensure there is no risk to neighbouring properties.

"We have also been operating regular road sweepers and jet washing lorry wheels before they exit site. We are making good progress on this development, which will soon become a sustainable community providing new family housing including affordable homes in the heart of Leicestershire."

A spokesperson for Blaby District Council stated: "Developers Vistry recently commenced work on a new housing scheme on Cork Lane in Glen Parva."

"Initial works, including foundation piling, have caused some concern to local residents who have raised complaints with Blaby District Council."

"The council is taking these complaints seriously and is monitoring the works taking place on site to ensure all actions are within specified national guidelines. It also arranged a meeting between Vistry and the local ward and county councillors."

"During this Vistry agreed to look at an action plan for a series of extra mitigation measures and provide further information on dust sampling and piling work as well as liaising more closely with local councillors and residents to keep them informed."

"A letter from Vistry has gone out to people living close to the site recognising the disruption and thanking them for their patience. Blaby District Council will continue to work with Vistry and monitor the development, acting on the concerns of local residents to try and ensure disruption is kept to a minimum."