FURIOUS locals claim they’re “prisoners in their own homes” after massive dust clouds from a newbuild estate have turned their houses black.
The residents of Bestwood, Nottingham, are fed up of dust plumes billowing from the nearby building site, meaning they can’t open their windows or hang out their clothes to dry.
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The neighbourhood reportedly looks “like the Sahara” or a “sand-storm”, as pollution from the new 129-home council estate coats homes and cars in thick dust.
Even washing that gets hung out to dry quickly turns a rust-brown colour as particles of dirt float over from the construction site.
Now, the homeowners have had enough.
“It’s a nightmare,” said mum-of-two Laura Baker, 35. “I know building new homes is a big job but there’s been no consideration for us.
“My blinds have turned black because of the amount of dust that blows in when my windows are open.
“I’ve given up even trying to clean the car. There’s no point. No-one is happy about it.
“The other day it honestly looked like we were in a sand-storm. That’s how bad it was.
“I work from home so it’s not like I can get away from it.
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“We thought they might come over and apologise – but nothing.”
Peter Walker, 58, has lived in Beckhampton Road, across from the building site, for 15 years.
The building site manager said: “There’s no dust suppression and all the houses are getting covered.
“I’ve asked them if they will come and clean the windows but I’ve not heard anything back.
“It will take them until 2024 to build these houses, so we worry that the worst is still to come.
“Everyone is fed up. It’s like the Sahara sometimes.
“As a considerate contractor they should be taking measures to control the pollution.”
The vast development by Nottingham City Homes on an old school playing field is being undertaken by housing giant Lovells.
As well as the nuisance of the dust, Pete even said cheeky security guards on the site had used his address to order takeaways.
He added: “The delivery guy knocked on my door with the food.
“I should have taken it and eaten it.”
Richard Watson, 72, has lived in his home for 35 years and is just as outraged.
He showed the Sun Online how the dust had even settled on the inside of his windows and doorframes.
He said: “My window sills upstairs are black.
“When the wind is blowing in this direction, you don’t dare to open the windows.”
They need to do something
Vivian Shelton
Unfortunately, the dust clouds will continue to be a problem as the weather warms up for the summer.
Couple Vivian Shelton, 62, and Richard Watson, 72, who live nearby, can’t stand the problem.
Vivian told Sun Online: “When it’s hot you want to open the windows but you can’t.
“It’s horrible having to keep them shut.
“They need to do something to keep the dust down.”
A Nottingham City Homes spokesperson said: “We are aware of concerns from a couple of residents and we are speaking to them directly.
We wrote to everyone who lives nearby before works began, and advised them who to contact with any concerns.
“The prolonged dry spell hasn’t helped, and this is an active construction site.
We obviously can’t control wind direction, but we are working with our constructor partners to mitigate its effects where possible – for example, last week we moved works to another part of the site, away from Beckhampton Road, to minimise any adverse impact on neighbours.
“We will continue to monitor the situation and take a flexible approach.”
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