NOISY heavy machinery including jackhammers and rollers running into the early hours in a city retail park has made life 'hell' for residents who live nearby.

The resurfacing work at Elgar Retail Park in Blackpole, Worcester began disturbing residents on Monday with many complaining of loss of sleep for four nights in a row.

Matt Brown, 61, of Salters Close said: "On Monday night all hell broke loose.

"A massive team with equipment including strippers, rollers and diggers arrived. They proceeded to strip the tarmac off the section. They had two jackhammers going. This went on until 4am on Tuesday morning.

"The noise was horrendous. This went on for four days and they appear to have finished at 1am last night (Friday). Their beacon lights were running. Their engines were running. I have never known anything like it. There were 14 pieces of equipment on Tuesday night working at the same time. 

Worcester News: SHOCK: Activist Edward Kimberley visited Elgar Retail Park in Blackpole to see first hand the scale of the noise issue for residents SHOCK: Activist Edward Kimberley visited Elgar Retail Park in Blackpole to see first hand the scale of the noise issue for residents (Image: Supplied)

"They started laying tarmac on Wednesday night. There was a continual chorus of reversing bleepers sounding all through the night.

"It's as if we don't matter at all, just collateral damage. It does matter. The retail park is directly opposite a housing estate. They just don't care at all. They just walk all over us."

Edward Kimberley, a community campaigner, said: "We are calling on the retail estate to be a good neighbour. There are residents right across the street who are trying to sleep, and are getting the sound of reversing trucks, jackhammers and shouting blasted directly into their homes.

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"They and I understand that this work needs to be done, but carrying it out in the middle of the night is unacceptable. The retail estate has made no effort to communicate with the people who live next door, and they have no idea how long this might continue.

"There's a right time to carry out resurfacing works, and it is not when there are local children trying to sleep."

Cllr Jill Desayrah, who has met with residents, said: "Long-suffering residents living close to the retail park can’t be expected to swallow it this time. Compensation is due and will be sought.

"Unfortunately no planning restrictions apply here. The retail park was perhaps originally built before behaviour like this was thought likely. Now we know differently. I will be asking for clarification on our options within the planning committee, for site management conditions to be applied to any future planning applications. This would be for any retail sites close to residential streets.

"Four consecutive nights into the early hours is completely unacceptable."

A spokesperson for Worcester City Council said: “Investigations by Worcestershire Regulatory Services have confirmed that there should be no further significantly noisy out-of-hours works on the site.

"There are some further works planned to take place this evening (Friday) but this should cause limited noise disturbance.  Officers have been clear with the business that any further significant noise issues may result in enforcement action.”

We have approached Elgar Retail Park owners Legal and General for a comment.