Residents in Burnham-On-Sea have spoken of their concerns amid ‘extreme noise and vibrations’ caused by pile-driving during building work at the former Tuckers Garage site in the town centre.
Building contractors working for property developer Abracore are working on the construction of 35 retirement flats at the site.
But residents surrounding the site in Victoria Street say the vibration from pile-driving machines concerns them.
Ollie Hulme says: “I’d just like to commend the Planning Inspectorate for giving permission for a three-storey block of flats on the Tuckers Garage site and allowing a piledriver to operate for six hours a day for two weeks (at least) that’s resulted in properties in that area shaking like a Fukushima tower block.”
Sharmaine Raymond added: “I manage a nursery which backs onto the site – we are based behind the library. We have had to avoid using our garden as the wall is adjacent to the building site and the noise and vibrations are horrendous!”
Another says: “When we complained about the vibrations we were told letters had been delivered the previous week. Nothing had been delivered to us or neighbours. Miraculously, the letters were delivered that afternoon.”
The site has been vacant for 12 years since the former Tucker’s Garage was demolished, as Burnham-On-Sea.com featured here at the time.
Abracore won approval in 2014 to build 35 retirement apartments in two blocks of three-storey buildings at the site despite local residents raising concerns about the lack of parking provision at the site. Sedgemoor District Council had initially rejected the plans for new flats in 2013, but Abracore appealed against the decision via the Planning Inspectorate and got the judgement overturned to win permission to go ahead.
