‘THE NOISE SHAKES THE WHOLE BLOCK!’
But council says work vital after Grenfell tragedy
TENANT Richard Snell is calling on the council to pause its sprinkler installation works at a flats complex – because it is ‘shaking’ his tower block.
Residents in Southern Court, Honeywall, have had to endure the ‘heavy drilling’ since the start of the pandemic.
And their peace is also being shattered by renovation works being carried out further down the road.
Now Richard – who lives on the fifth floor – wants some respite after his mental health took a battering in lockdown three.
The 75-year-old, who has lived in his flat for 12 years, said: “The noise shakes the whole block and you can hear it everywhere.
“For a lot of people, lockdown has been extremely upsetting. They have been obeying the rules and stuck in their flats – and have had to put up with this day after day.
“I suffer from depression and one of the symptoms is hypervigilance. I am extremely sensitive to noise and if I can’t escape it I become very ill.
“My friend lives on the top floor and is terminally ill and can’t leave the flat except to go shopping. He is stuck with the noise and desperately unhappy.”
He added: “We are asking the council to clear off until the lockdown is over. We are talking about the noise – not whether the work should be done. People have got to be able to get away from the noise.
“This work is causing tremendous misery. We know of one night-shift worker in our block who has to sleep during the day and he is angry. No allowance is being made for our problems.
“They should stop doing it until the lockdown has been fully lifted and people have a choice as to where they could go during the day.
“I would be at peace with myself and wouldn’t have to worry everyday about going mad.
“The council has a duty of care towards its tenants and it is failing in this regard.”
The work is being carried out between 8.30am and 4pm Monday to Friday.
Stoke-on-trent City Council says it is aware of Richard’s concerns and has reponded to him directly. The sprinkler installation programme is a direct response to the Grenfell Tower disaster which claimed the lives of 72 people.
Councillor Carl Edwards, cabinet member for housing, said: “These are potentially life-saving works which we are carrying out in order to look out for the safety of Mr Snell and all other residents in these flats. Following the tragic events at Grenfell Tower, the city council took a decision to retrofit sprinklers in to the high-rise blocks in order to protect our residents. To date three blocks have been completed and the current phase of works covers four apartment blocks in the Honeywall area.
“The Government has been clear that key essential works, including fire safety works, should continue where safe to do so during the national lockdowns. These works are vital for health and safety and have all been carried out in line with Government guidance.
“Works commenced in summer 2019 for these blocks, starting with preparations of the site, individual apartment surveys, and engagement with tenants to identify specific requirements within their property; or any personal circumstances.
“Sprinkler systems are installed directly into each property and also into the shared areas of the block, with sprinkler heads located at key positions throughout. By their nature, the works require pipework and sprinkler equipment to be installed by drilling into the walls and floors throughout, and this inevitably creates an amount of dust and noise that our contractors work hard to minimise.
“Unfortunately, it is not possible to undertake these works without some level of disruption within the apartments. These are essential works to install a sprinkler system which will ensure that residents are protected in the event of a fire. It follows central government advice to continue with such improvement works during the pandemic, to continue to improve fire safety in blocks of flats nationally.
“Sadly it is not possible to undertake these installations without creating some noise and disruption for residents. We will continue to liaise with residents to support them throughout the works in their homes.”