Living on a new estate building site. Noise starts at 6:45!

[Amazingday]

I moved into a new build house a few months ago. The estate will be finished in 8 months so the builders are still building. I bought off plan and knew the estate would be established a year after I moved in. I was prepared for mud, generally noise, but not as much as I am experiencing, especially starting at 6:45am 6 days a week.

I was not told my house was directly across from the site office and building store. I only found this out on my first viewing of the house , where was too late to pull out. I was told it was a respectful site and they will minimise noise.

first week beeping of fork lift trucks reversing started at 7am for 7 days. My driveway being blocked constantly with trucks. Peopled waiting to start work directly talking outside my bedroom window from 6:30 am. Myself and my neighbours complained and was told no noise on a Sunday and they should start at 8am, but can prepare for work at 7:30am. I accepted that as in a years time all work will be finished.

It stuck for a few days then the beeping and noise started at 7am. We complained again, it stopped for a few days and started again. This has been an ongoing battle for months. It gets better then stops. We are complaining to the head office but nothing sticks.

what can I do? The noise nearly especially at a weekend is terrible. The constant blocking of my driveway is annoying. Any advice?

We had that

Not quite sure why you expect so much quiet living on a building site.

I think you need to find a way to make peace with the fact that you're living on a building site, and hope that the 8 months is accurate. Ear plugs, white noise, just take all the practical steps you can to minimise it and the rest is a mental battle to keep it in perspective.

Many sympathies, we were in a similar situation but finally seeing the light at the end of the tunnel after about a year. The builders on our site seemed to forget that people actually live here and would just dig up random roads that were supposed to be already completed, block driveways, smoke outside of open windows…all I would say is that we used to contact our estate manager and she was helpful at getting in touch with various house builders (Bellway, David Wilson etc) and passing on the information which occasionally helped.

I feel your pain; your post brings lots of memories back. The upside was that any issues were easily fixed as builders were on site.

Hours of construction are a condition of planning permission. Before 7am will most likely be a breach. Get in touch with your local Environmental Health department as this deal with noise complaints.

Normally 8am start, check it out here and ask council environment dept

ukconstructionblog.co.uk/2024/05/01/what-time-can-you-start-construction-work-in-a-residential-area-uk/

I only found this out on my first viewing of the house , where was too late to pull out

Do you mean you put down a deposit without even seeing where the house was? why would you do that?

Unfortunately you just have to get used to it.
You can complain but they usually slip back after a few days.
You know when it is likely to come to an end so just suck it up for now.

Complain to the council and ring 101 to log the noise complaints

i am trying to suck it up. I was expecting noise, but not as early. But the issue is my house is directly opposite the site office where everything is stored. It’s the meeting point of the workers and the area where all deliveries come in.

when we complain the noise stops before 7:30 and it’s quiet. But that only lasts a week and then it starts again at 6:30am. Noise is 6 days a week and they do some work on Sunday. Planning permission states 7:30 am till 4pm. Doesn’t say days if the week.

I had this and made a complaint to Bovis’s Head office, telling them that I would have to involve the Council if it didn’t stop.

They were incredibly apologetic annd blamed the site Manager! and building work started at 8am and finished at 5pm and by 2pm on a Saturday - kick up a stink, there are construction site noise laws of when they should be operating.

Keep a record of when noise starts and finishes and how it affects you (e.g. wakes you up, makes normal conversation difficult, drowns out the radio/TV) for a few days. The contact the council's environmental health department. They can enforce laws on hours when building work can be carried out as well as on noise 'nuisance' in general.