A group of residents have said they feel trapped like prisoners on their housing estate because of work on a nearby housing development.
Residents of Westheath Road, Cornwall, have criticised the Vistry Group development which is taking place just metres away from their gardens.
They claimed that their lives have been hell since the work began on the site in mid-September, more than two years after planning permission was granted for the development.
They said they fear for their privacy as metal barriers move ever closer to their properties and the noise of the building work intensifies.
Speaking to CornwallLive, one resident said: “We can’t sell and we can’t move. We’re trapped like prisoners.”
According to reports, many of the residents who live in the area either work night shifts or are retired.
Judy Stevens, 72, said the development has marked a “total intrusiveness of everyone’s lives”.
She added: “It’s mostly the noise and the privacy, and we’ve had to buy screening to put up to protect ourselves. The other morning there was a digger right there and I was in my nightie. It’s really not pleasant and they’ve been shouting and swearing.”
Judy said the builders came out of nowhere last month and that some residents hadn’t even been aware that the planning application had gone in and been approved two years ago.
She added: “It’s truly awful. We’ve worked hard our entire lives and now we’re retired so we’re here most of the time and we’ve just got no life at all. I think we’ve paid our dues.”
Another resident, Debbie Connel, 62, said it would have broken her parent’s heart to see what was happening.
She explained: “It would have broken my parent’s hearts to see this. We had decking put in specially because they would sit out here and watch the world but there’s absolutely no privacy now.”
She added: “We’re stuck in limbo and at the mercy of these people. I was thinking about listing it on Airbnb for people to stay but we can’t now given the noise, we just can’t.”
The development currently under construction is one for 45 homes ranging from four-bedroom houses to flats. Of these homes, 10 will be affordable rentals, four will be shared ownership properties, and 31 will be open market homes.
In a statement, a spokesperson for the Vistry Group said: “We have met with neighbouring residents in person to discuss any concerns they may have regarding working hours whilst also responding to queries from the local ward councillor. We remain readily available to listen and respond to any further queries.
“We are also in daily correspondence with our contractor carrying out these works to make sure that any disruption caused by construction is kept to a minimum. If it is found that work is commencing before the times agreed with the Council, we shall be reminding them of this requirement.”
