Plymouth family's despair over night-time roadworks
A FURIOUS family is being kept awake by roadworks going on through the night outside their home in the heart of a residential district.
Fed-up Joanna Frame and her husband David are demanding to know why the resurfacing work in Weston Park Road, Peverell, is starting at 6.30pm and continuing through the small hours until 6am.
In an attempt to get answers they contacted their ward councillor and MP.
Plymouth University worker Mrs Frame, who has lived in the road for 22 years, said: "It started on Monday night. But on Tuesday night at half past midnight they were right outside our home. The noise was terrible. There was the sound of big machinery operating, the beeping sound of vehicles reversing and flashing lights. There were five or six machines and lorries right outside our house.
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"My husband, David, works at Princess Yachts and has to be up at 5.30am. He didn't get to sleep until 1.30am."
Mrs Frame said that her daughter, Verity, aged 25, who works at Age UK Plymouth, was also unable to sleep through the noise.
In desperation, she fired off an email to Pothole Pete, her MP Oliver Colvile, Peverell ward councillor Martin Leaves, and the city council, part of which read: "By the time you read this you will all have probably had a good night's sleep. As a resident of Weston Park Road this will not be possible for my family and all my neighbours as road resurfacing work is being carried out.
"It is now 00.30 hours and we have been kept awake. . This could go on until 6am according to the signs outside. How are we expected to then go into work or school?
"Could you please explain how you justify carrying out this work overnight in a residential street? Why couldn't the work have been done during the day with traffic diverted to use Peverell Park Road?"
Mrs Frame said: "It is probably too late for us now, but I just hope other people do not have to suffer like this."
Cllr Leaves said he had passed the email to Amey Highways and added: "It seems strange that they can do resurfacing works in residential areas at night. But they could not do the Laira Bridge works at night, when that is not a residential area."
A Plymouth Transport and Highways spokesperson said: "Western Park Road has been identified as requiring resurfacing, based on the number of potholes and the degree of cracking and bumpiness. The works were scheduled to take place at night to minimise traffic congestion for residents and commuters.
"The works have been planned so that a majority of noisy tasks finish at a reasonable hour; for example no jackhammering will happen after 11pm.
"Although the advance information boards state a finish time of 6am, our works will always finish well before this. On Monday night we finished just after midnight and on Tuesday night it was just after 1am – 6am is the deadline by which time we must reopen the road for traffic.
"As well as putting up advance notice signs along the road we also did a comprehensive letter drop to around 800 properties on Weston Park Road and all side roads providing details of the works, including timings. The resurfacing work is on schedule to finish on Friday as planned and we apologise for any inconvenience this may cause in the meantime."
Comments
by Grinder
Saturday, December 08 2012, 11:20AM
“Road works by day = Traffic jams. Road works by night = Moaning residents . In this case PCC really can't get it right because there is no "right" solution for this work to be done. Any way if it's done properly the residents will have at least 5 years peace from road works so they should stop bloody dripping about it and get a life.”
by Pilly40
Saturday, December 08 2012, 11:08AM
“Please Plymouth council come and re-surface the main road through Whitleigh and keep me up at night, Budshead Rd, thankyou.”
by circles1
Saturday, December 08 2012, 10:15AM
“doesn't he look like a reasonable man, a bloke who could argue his case ?”
by nothalf
Saturday, December 08 2012, 8:15AM
“wouldn't the disruption, queues and noise be worse during the day, apart from him being at work if he could get out of his drive”
by Molochius
Saturday, December 08 2012, 12:10AM
“`Fed-up Joanna Frame and her husband David are demanding to know why the resurfacing work in Weston Park Road, Peverell, is starting at 6.30pm and continuing through the small hours until 6am.`
ummm maybe because these are the hours with the least amount of traffic flow? therefore causing the least disruption for road users? These people would most likly moan about the traffic jams if the work took place during the day so no pleasing them!
I fail to see why this is even newsworthy, its not an unusual occurrence.....I live near the tamar bridge and I recall a few months back similar overnight work was taking place, you just suck it up and get on with it it needs to be done after all.”
by cassiebiker
Friday, December 07 2012, 7:00PM
“They chose after dark 'cos Dom an Mel were in town.”
by allan66
Friday, December 07 2012, 6:50PM
“So what were the recipients of the 800 letters meant to do? Quit their jobs for a week and find new ones; take a sleeping bag to work; go on holiday? 500 letters accompanied by an apology and a few sets of disposable earplugs may at least have made Amey look like they cared.”
by Rick_OShay
Friday, December 07 2012, 6:15PM
“These residents have every right to challenge the council on the night time roadworks and find out whether the company have thought through the work or are simply being inconsiderate.
What I find strange are the number of sheeple who post comments here suggesting that citizens (most of whom pay council tax and are therefore funding this work) should not dare to question things.
With so many subservient people around happy to accept the status quo it's no wonder that the city is struggling.
Rick O'Shay
Zog”
by whinger7643
Friday, December 07 2012, 4:46PM
“Hands up all who are aware, of any PCC councilors being kept awake at night by ongoing road works outside of their properties.”
by sssss2010
Friday, December 07 2012, 2:17PM
“Weston Park Road was only fully resurfaced two of three years ago, because of the large numbers of pot holes. When I discussed this problem with a civil engineer, he said that the problem is bad workmanship and by the large numbers of bus's and HGV's going over the speed bumps along that road. As they go over the bumps the weight of the vehicles compresses the tarmac and thus causes the pots holes. So look forward to the road being relayed in two to three years' time.”