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Council make "unacceptable" compensation offer to Westcroft neighbours (From Sutton Guardian)
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Sutton Council make "unacceptable" compensation offer to Westcroft neighbours affected by £11m leisure centre revamp
9:40am Friday 12th October 2012 in News By James Pepper
Sutton Council make "unacceptable" compensation offer to Westcroft neighbours affected by £11m leisure centre revamp
A child minder who has had to put up with building work at the Westcroft Leisure Centre building site for the past year has said the offer of a month's free membership as compensation is "unacceptable".
Caroline Brown, 40, of Devonshire Road, has been offered one month's free membership to the new £11m centre, she lives opposite, ahead of its opening in January.
She said: "After a year of from hell, we should at least get a year back from the people who caused, it seems only fair."
"They have been starting work at 7.30am everyday and leave huge powerful lights on 24 hours a day. Debris from the site has covered cars and we can only put washing out on a Sunday.
"Not only that, but the language from the builders has been atrocious. I have lost count of the times I have had to bring the kids inside to keep them away from it."
Mrs Brown said her house has been vibrating constantly since work began on the site in October last year. A council spokesman said: “We have worked very hard to minimise inconvenience to residents and are happy to discuss any issues they have.
A spokesman for Sutton Council said: "Westcroft is currently offering residents whose homes back on to the area a membership price of £35 a month for life. The price is normally £42.95."
"The first month will be completely free and the normal £40 joining fee will also be waived."
manjack says...
11:12am Mon 15 Oct 12
The little summer we had we have been unable to enjoy being outside, as the dust has been so heavy, no hording, or netting was put around the site, on complaining we were told to “wait for the rain it will wash it off”. Windows could not be opened as the brown sand like dust filled the house.
The house has shook quite strongly with the works, and I am concerned of the structural damage that this could have done. We are getting little re-assurance. It really is not nice the way the council have approached the matter, Infact the only time they have wanted to talk is to ask us to listen out and watch for intruders. And report them if we saw/heard anything.
This is not the 1st time we have had problems with Westcroft, over the years there have been countless travellers on the site, and had asked for gates to be put in place, and help when they did arrive, nothing ever happened, and the answer to not shutting the gates was that; they would keep needing to open and close it through the day!
I agree with Caroline that the offer is not acceptable, an apology in the first instance would be nice.