Pre-dawn construction site noise too much for neighbours

Friday, 19 August 2022

The construction site on the corner of Cashel St and Stanmore Rd in Linwood.

Residents have been left tired and grumpy after being woken at 4am by work at a Christchurch building site, but the developer has defended the night-time disruption.

The early start has happened twice recently on a site at the corner of Cashel St and Stanmore Rd in Linwood, where builders recently broke ground on a complex of 18 new townhouses.

Three noise complaints about the site have so far been lodged with the Christchurch City Council.

Neighbour Maryann Grant said she was given no warning of the early morning noise, and could not sleep once it started.

“I don’t think it’s fair at all.”

* Residential construction has peaked, forecast to slide to decade low

Linwood resident Maryann Grant says the pre-dawn construction came without warning and is unfair to residents.

* How tradies can protect their eyes and ears on site

Jaspreet Saini lives next door and first thought the noise was a thunderstorm. The the disturbance made it hard for he and his wife to get up in the morning, he said.

The Linwood construction site where 18 new townhouses are being built.

“Those were pretty rough nights.”

Council noise rules restrict construction noise in residential areas to Monday to Saturday between 7.30am and 6pm, with buffers between 6.30am and 7.30am for setting up and 6pm and 8pm to pack up. Any noise levels outside this period must be very low.

Another neighbour of the Linwood development, who did not want her name used, said the noise began “in the middle of the night” without warning.

“The first time it was pouring concrete, with lots of beeping and lots of big trucks. The next time they had a big crane out there at 4 o’clock.

“I couldn’t go back to sleep. It’s beeping vehicles and workmen doing work and it’s the middle of the night.”

She said after complaining to the council, she was given a noise control number to ring in future. She thought the council had not done enough.

“They just seemed to close [the complaint] immediately, saying they had been advised of it, or I should call noise control when it happens.

“It's almost like because we’re in a poorer neighbourhood they just think they can get away with it. I doubt that would ever happen somewhere like Merivale.”

CoreLogic's Kelvin Davidson says construction costs could rise 10 per cent this year. Video first published February 9, 2022.

Another neighbour said while the noise was disruptive, the builders “may as well get on and get it done” as the city needed the extra housing.

Harry Crawford, director of Crawford Developments, which is behind the project, said a concrete pour on both days made the 4am starts necessary.

The thick concrete slabs for a multi-unit development took 12 hours to pour and cure, he said.

Asked why they could not start and finish later, Crawford said they needed to work in with concrete suppliers, and workers wanted to get away at 4pm after a long shift.

He said one more early start might be needed when the driveway was poured.

“It’s just two days or three days of construction in a project that takes six months. It happens on every construction site.”

Crawford said they had not been required to inform the council ahead of time, but had delivered leaflets to neighbours.

It was possible some homes had been missed, or leaflets had blown away, he said.

They tried to give residents 48 hours’ notice, and he understood early morning noise was disruptive.

“But it’s a fact of life in a town like Christchurch that is redeveloping”.

Council head of regulatory compliance Tracey Weston said any noise from construction sites must comply with the rules, and neighbours must be notified of early morning or late night noise.

In a statement, she said any complaints to the council needed to be made while the disturbance was happening.

“For council to be able to take action, the noise control officer needs to assess the noise at the time it is occurring. As these complaints were received after the event the noise assessment was unable to be undertaken.

“Therefore no compliance action has occurred, however, noise education was provided to the contractor/builder on the day the complaints were received.”

Weston said if the noise is deemed excessive, a notice is issued onsite. Fines or a prosecution can result if excessive noise continues, she said.