Building work on hundreds of new homes in a "quiet" Merseyside community has caused huge disruption, local residents say.
Work has already begun on the construction of 1,305 new homes in Halewood as part of Knowsley Council's ' masterplan ' with Redrow, Bellway and Miller on board. The sites are on fields off Baileys Lane and Greenbridge Lane, however, nearby residents have previously expressed their concerns over the pressures already being felt in the town.
There were concerns services were "not up to scratch" as the housing developments are set to bring in hundreds more families to the town. But now, roadworks are being said to be "wreaking havoc", especially in the Lower Road and Lower Close area and Rawlinson Crescent where "chaos is constant", as well as Baileys Lane.
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One local resident, who wished to not be named, told the ECHO the noise was "constant" and can even be heard "above the TV". They added that it is a "nightmare" trying to get to and from their home and there are "forever temporary lights in place."
The resident, who has lived there for many years, said: "Yes houses have to be built, but there is constant disruption. The roads are rotten, they relay the road surface and then dig it up again a few days later. You could be sat at the temporary lights for ages, it's a nuisance."
However, another local resident said although the situation is "not ideal" the houses "need to be built eventually". A nearby resident added: "Halewood Village was a little piece of Halewood that still had its history and these housing estates aren't going to keep that.
"The roads are filthy, these plans are going to have so much impact on the whole town. I just don't think it's very thought out."
Some residents have taken to social media to share their frustrations. One person on a local Facebook page asked if others were "sick and tired of the constant thumping" which "lasts all day", preventing them from sitting outside.
Another person commented they "understand houses need to be built but it's beyond a joke" while another added: "For me, it's not so much the noise, but the dirt." A fourth said: "The constant thud noise is driving us crazy."
A Knowsley Council spokesperson said “Work has started on the construction of 1,305 new homes in Halewood, with some residents already settled into their new homes. The contractors are permitted to work during the hours of 7am to 6pm on Monday to Friday and 8am to 1pm on Saturday. No work is permitted on Sundays or Bank Holidays.
"Unfortunately an element of disruption will occur during the early stages of developments of this scale, but this will only be for a temporary period whilst the initial groundworks are completed. We are regularly monitoring the work on-site, and if there are breaches to the operating hours of work, we will investigate and take the appropriate action.
"In addition to the construction of the new housing, work is also underway in relation to improvements to the local highway network and the creation of new additional primary school places."
