To tell the workmen to f off or get compensation?

[Jayne25]

Ncr. Just after advice please. Moved into a new build 4 years ago, and the estate where I live was complete.or so I thought! Yet, every so often (a few times a year) there are workmen directly outside of my house (like on my doorstep!) doing more work, underground, the road, the pond next to where I live. Currently there's work going on for drainage (why it wasn't in place when they built the houses I don't know) supposed to last a week. This was last Monday it started. It's still ongoing. But it's literally vibrating my whole house! All day from 8am and when I say 8am, I mean on the dot or just before. ALL DAY! the noise is unbearable and really hard to bear with especially since I work from home. I'm an understanding person so I know work needs to be completed. But the disruption it's causing is really uncomfortable. Where do I stand ? Can I be compensated? Because my anxiety is through the roof. My sleep is being disturbed. My home isn't comfortable because of the noise and vibrations. Any advice appreciated, thanks 😊

Contractors for the council

Well yes you could go and tell them to get lost , then in the EXTREMELY unlikely event that they do go and the road floods / drains collapse/ sewage backs up or whatever make sure you tell all your neighbours its your fault that the work didn't get done.

Ask them in a polite way how long they'll be there for. If it's the council then by all means say something but the work needs doing and they are working within normal hours.

My street gets dug up about once every couple months and the noise is horrible. But that's just tough. There's loads of infrastructure stuff underneath the road and it needs fixing.

Sounds crap, but also sounds preferable to having your house flooded or you drains back up because they didn't do the remedial work on the drainage.

Welcome to the wonderful world of new-builds. Sounds like you got off quite lightly based on some of the horror stories I've read or heard about.

As you live on a new build estate it is likely the works are covered under the pre-occupation conditions of the planning permission eg by the time the 300th house is occupied the primary school/spine road/attenuation pond/whatever will be completed. You won't get far complaining about the work itself. Telecoms or other works to the highways are usually permitted development, so they don't need permission. By all means complain to the Council about the noise and working hours if you like, but it's unlikely to go anywhere unless statutory nuisance levels are reached. Try and tell yourself not complaining is likely to allow the work to get done quicker.

As someone who moved into a new build on an estate still being built you have my sympathies. Things go on a lot longer than you would expect. Our house itself was in one of the first groups to be finished, but we came home one day about 18 months later to find a tree planted in our front garden. The planting scheme condition wasn't discharged and the works done until the whole estate was finished. We also have the telecoms void in the pavement in front of our house, which is regularly dug up without any notice, which is extremely annoying.

Just buy some ear plugs from Amazon. I have neighbors with kids next door who are very loud outside making so much noise and I just wear ear plugs.

Do you not want functioning drainage where you live? I suppose you'd prefer they don't work and you have sewage in the streets, or worse, in your home?

How is it disturbing your sleep? 😳

It’s annoying but I’m sure the work is necessary.

Also one of the downsides of working from home.

YABU. The council wouldn’t be doing the work if it wasn’t essential. As long as they are keeping to their own rules on working hours (normally 8am to 6pm Mon - Fri for most councils), you have no comeback.

Yet another reason why people who WFH should be made to fk off back to the office so we don’t have to hear them whinging about stuff like this.

It sucks living near work going on but a lot of the time its part and parcel of life.

My next door neighbours had the longest running building work extension to their house...front, side and back and it went on for over a year.

I worked nights at the time and the noise, mess and disruption was horrendous but sadly noisy work needs doing.