Neighbours’ fury as Sainsbury’s building work retains them awake

Residents are locked in a bitter row with their local Sainsbury’s supermarket over ‘deafening’ night-time construction work which is making their lives hell.

Furious residents of in Blackpole, Worcester, say they haven’t slept for a week because of continuous loud drilling noises and banging coming from the store.

Some local children have been unable to sleep during crucial exams as a result of the ‘constant’ noise.

Julia Gibbs said the ‘horrific’ situation has led to her family suffering from migraines and she’s considered booking a hotel or staying in the office to get away from it.

Ms Gibbs said: ‘It is constant, so it’s so invasive, and you try to get to sleep, but you cannot. It is nonstop – it’s absolutely horrific. You cannot cope without sleep.

‘It is hard to put into words as it’s so excessive. It makes your brain feel frazzled and I can still hear the drilling in my head during the day.’

A Sainsbury’s supermarket in Blackpole, Worcester is undergoing renovations

Residents have complained that the deafening construction noise is keeping them up at night

She added: ‘It has got to the point where I want to stay in the office or a hotel because I do not want to go back to the house.’

The store is undergoing a range of changes but tired neighbours have described the noise from heavy machinery as ‘excessive drilling’ and ‘sounding like a bomb’.

Sainsbury’s says it has been carrying out the work between 8pm and 5.30am in a bid to ‘avoid disruption’ to its customers.

Residents have raised the issue with the Regulatory Service, Environmental Health and Worcester City Council councillor Jill Desayrah.

Ms Desayrah has been acting as a liaison between residents and Environmental Health and said she is ‘extremely disappointed’ with Sainsbury’s.

Previously, a spokesman for Sainsbury’s said they had issued apologies to residents but Councillor Desayrah said this has not been the case.

She said: ‘I would not like to fight with Sainsbury’s, but I will support my residents.

‘It is annoying how they have decided to treat residents. I know they do not want to do the noisy work when their customers are in but why use residents as collateral damage?’

Fellow councillor for Warndon and Elbury Park Ed Kimberley added: ‘Companies have clearly learnt that the law on noise pollution is lax, and are taking full advantage of night-time hours to speed ahead with work so they can open their doors to trade that much sooner.

‘But it is having an unacceptable effect on the lives of our residents.

‘Last night I was contacted by a family who had been left unable to open their windows, with their children unable to sleep in the week they were sitting crucial exams.’

Sainsbury’s is working on refurbishing its Blackpole supermarket with a new in-store Argos and flooring.

The store is making way for an Argos and putting down new flooring

Workers sit in a van in the Sainsbury’s carpark in Blackpole, Worcester

Sainsbury’s says it has been carrying out the work between 8pm and 5.30am in a bid to ‘avoid disruption’ to its customers

Tired neighbours have described the noise from heavy machinery as ‘excessive drilling’ and ‘sounding like a bomb’

An aerial view of the Sainsbury’s store in Blackpole, Worcester where residents and councillors are locked in a bitter fight with supermarket bosses

The work is expected to last several months.

A Sainsbury’s spokesman said: ‘We wrote to residents to make them aware of the works and that we have taken steps to minimise potential noise and disruption, with approval from the local Environmental Health Officer.

‘We are sorry for any inconvenience this may cause and we will continue to do our best to minimise disruption.’