News
Sleepless nights on the Beechdale again
Fed up residents suffering noise and disruption due to the overnight road works to open up the hard shoulders during rush-hour on the M6, have accused the Highways Agency of “changing the rules when they feel like”.
Sleep-deprived residents of the Beechdale estate received letters informing them of overnight work on Monday at about 3:30pm in spite of assurances from the Highways Agency that a week’s notice would be given for any late night operations. Work began the following night and is continuing.
Darren Jones of Murdock Way said: “They change the rules when they feel like it, it`s absolutely disgusting. You get to sleep and you get woken up by things scraping across the tarmac. I call them and they say they shouldn`t be making that much noise, will look into it and that they will call back in a minute, but they never do.”
Jim Sargent of Crompton Close said: “They promised us there would be no less than a week`s notice. They could have posted these letters last week and I could have made arrangements for my daughter to stay somewhere else and changed my shifts.”
Alan Sanders, chairman of the Murdock Way Residents Association said: “It`s unacceptable. What they are doing is totally disgusting and way out of order.”
A spokesman for the Highways Agency, Anthony Aston said: “We endeavour to give Beechdale residents a week`s notice of overnight works when possible. Unfortunately this is a fast-moving project and plans can change, meaning this is not always possible.”
Back in March of this year, when residents raised concerns after trees and fences were ripped up at the dead of night, a spokesman for the Highways Agency said: “We are sorry that this issue has caused such an adverse public reaction.
“We followed all of our environmental assessment and public consultation procedures including public notices on this extremely important scheme, aimed at reducing congestion.
“We have listened to concerns raised, and taken account of residents’ complaints about current noise levels.
“As a result, we have reviewed our design and mitigations and are considering how best we can provide an environmental screen as part of the works which will be undertaken”.