Birmingham city centre residents have expressed fury over construction works on New Street that have been keeping them awake until 4am. The works, which involve relaying pedestrian paving near Victoria Square, have been ongoing since last month.
Locals living in flats above the street said it has become 'impossible to sleep' at night due to the constant noise. One resident, who asked to remain anonymous, told BirminghamLive: 'Construction work on New Street has been going on day and night. Works started in the evening on Monday, April 27, and continued until 4am on April 28. On Wednesday, April 29, it was the same.'
The resident added: 'We suppose this is done to minimise disruption to businesses, but there are also residential buildings on New Street. It's impossible to sleep - even with the windows closed - due to the noise. This includes demolition, cutting, hammering, banging of metal on stones and the operation of forklifts. I can hear a jackhammer outside my window. No effort is being made to minimise the noise, or leave at least some quiet time for residents.'
Another resident commented: 'These are major works and should be carried out during the day - not at night.'
Contractor Apologises
In correspondence with one resident, contractor CPC Civils apologised for the disruption. The company stated: 'We recognise works undertaken during these hours can be disruptive and with your concerns in mind I'd like to offer our apologies for any inconvenience you have experienced. I'd like to assure you that we have noted your concerns, and I can confirm that following a review with the construction team, measures have been put in place to avoid undertaking 'breaking out' activities after 10pm. We will continue to monitor site operations to ensure works are carried out in line with agreed working practices.'
Despite repeated attempts, Birmingham City Council failed to respond to requests for comment.
