Stafford residents complain of 'near constant' noise from housing site

Alice Whitehouse Alice WhitehouseAlice Whitehouse
Alice Whitehouse said the noise from the housing site was "relentless"

People living near a large housing development in Stafford have complained of "near constant" noise and vibrations coming from the site.

Bellway Homes has permission to build 359 homes on the former General Electric site between Lichfield Road and the railway line.

A residents meeting was held on Tuesday to share stories, arranged by Alice Whitehouse, one of those affected.

She said people wanted the developers to look at quieter ways of working.

The noise has been a problem for six months, she said, and was heard for about eight hours every day.

Ms Whitehouse said: "I'm trying to work from home and it's so hard to concentrate."

The meeting heard stories of walls being shaken by the vibration, she said, causing plasterwork to crack, chimney pots to break and shelves to fall off walls.

Alice Whitehouse Broken plant potsAlice Whitehouse
Ms Whitehouse said the vibrations had shaken objects off shelves
Alice Whitehouse Bellway Homes site in StaffordAlice Whitehouse
The residents have asked Bellway Homes to look at alternative ways of clearing the site

Ms Whitehouse said the problem was caused by contractors clearing concrete foundations on the site, but attempts to talk to the company responsible had been met with "half-hearted explanation".

As a result of the meeting, residents agreed to set up a social media page to gather the thoughts of others affected and she said: "This is affecting further and beyond than we knew about."

The residents are asking Bellway Homes for more community engagement and to consider alternative ways of breaking up the concrete.

The BBC has approached the developer for a comment.

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