Collapsed sewer is latest misery for estate residents
RESIDENTS on an estate face weeks of misery while a collapsed sewer is repaired.
United Utilities will start work on replacing the broken pipe on Jasmine Avenue this week.
It involves shutting off the entrance to a cul-de-sac and blocking off dozens of homes.
To make it worse residents will have to endure noisy generators pumping out water 24-hours a day, for three weeks.
It is another blow for the five-year-old estate, with residents fighting for three years to reopen Jasmine Park which was closed because of a health and safety row between the developer Taylor Wimpey and Cheshire East Council.
Engineers are now building a temporary road through Jasmine Park to allow access and screening generators to restrict disturbance.
Coun Chris Andrews, who represents Macclesfield South ward on Cheshire East Council but lives on Jasmine Avenue, said neighbours aren’t happy.
“There’s a massive hole and once they go to repair it will be as big as a house. They don’t want to be driving down the road and end up in a blooming big hole. The other concern is the temporary road. It’ll go right by the playground. It’ll be very unusual and very worrying. It took us three years to get the park open and now we’re going to have a road by the side of it.”
One resident, who wrote anonymously to the Express, saying: “Pumps will be on all day with noises of up to 30 decibels, which will echo around the houses.
“It’s just another issue faced by people who have spent a great deal of money to live there.”
A spokesperson from United Utilities said: “Working at the entrance to a cul-de-sac is hardly ideal for residents, but we’ll be doing everything we can to get the work done quickly. The complex nature of the repair, and its unfortunate location, has meant we’ve had to plan the job very carefully, which has taken time.
“We inherited this sewer in 2011 from the developer. It is obviously very disappointing that a comparatively new sewer has failed due to its poor condition.
“It’s now our job to put this right, while being sensitive to local residents’ needs.”
A spokesman for Taylor Wimpey said: “United Utilities will be carrying out all necessary works.”