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Noise From Construction Sites

Strumms

All,

I have a neighbor who recently sold a house that the new owners for want of a better description have gutted / are gutting both inside for renovations and outside... gardens too, all trees, being ripped up, old windows being ripped out, new wall being built. Mostly done of course by use of quite heavy plant machinery, sounds like pile driving right now with material being forcefully dumped into a skip by a digger. Can almost ‘feel’ the vibrations.

Both Friday and today it started bang on 7am. I woke bang on 7am on it commencing. I’d no knowledge of building/planning regulations so on clicking on the council website to verify I was surprised that works of this nature can proceed from 7am without restrictions.

In a civilized world how the fûck is that allowed ? While I understand that there might be commercial concerns or pressures to get work done in a speedy and efficient manner, if that is work of this nature to be carried out at an early and unreasonable time which 7am IS in my view, for a residential area you are in a situation in this poxy country yet again where the whims and wants of a commercial business trumps the wellbeing and comfort of the average citizen and community. WHY ?

8am is reasonable as the majority are up or at least awake or getting there where it won’t be sooo much of an inconvenience.. But in corporate Ireland which for I guess 25 years plus now has had the run and say of everything and anything for its benefit with little or no consideration for the ordinary guy... it’s poxy.

Has anybody had any luck on the off chance in complaining that noise might be ‘excessive’ or is there any recourse at all here ? The DCC website suggests not but is vague in its wording, no surprises there.... thanks. It’s like a war zone out there.

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Cheensbo

You sound very reasonable, I'm sure you will prevail.

Let us know how you get on anyway, just make sure the lawyer is no-win, no-fee.

Strumms

sydthebeat wrote: »

hilarious.. :D:D:D

this is YOUR thread.

youve been told that there is no law broken and that 7am is not considered too early.. yet you label these responses as #superherosyndrome

absolutely hilarious :D

#didntgettheanswerIwantedsyndrome

You are correct 100%. I didn’t of course get the answer I’d have liked, but at least I know and am aware of the inadequacy of said law as it relates to the ordinary residents of the country.

s1ippy

We were woken for six months with loud drilling commencing every day at 7am including several Sundays.

We just moved and there are about 6 construction sites in the surrounding area again, but none right next to where we sleep fortunately.

It's maddening.

Trouser Snake

Have you or any of the WhatsApp group relayed your concerns to the owner of said building site? You will be living beside him in the future, surely your first point of contact won't be a letter from your "go getter" lawyer friend.

seannash

So I think we've established there's no law to stop them starting at 7am but having just recently finished a renovation I spoke with the builder and made sure they made no very loud noise til 8am.

Why don't you simply ask your neighbour to have a word. If they are any way decent I'm sure they will accommodate.
Personally I would find it annoying to hear loud noise first thing in the morning while I'm getting ready for work.

MOH

Niner leprauchan wrote: »

Most people are awake at 7am. Either already in work or up and getting ready.

The noise sucks but the 7am doesn't really change anything. It would suck at 8am or 9am. It would suck at any time when on a night shift.

Noise wakes me when I'm working nights at weekends and the neighbors who work 9 to 5 are in their gardens cutting the grass, etc.

But the simple reality is that most people are awake at 7am and from what's bring described, the work will be done in a week.

I genuinely find this bizarre. I don't think I've ever been up at 7am to go to work. Even with an hour commute I wouldn't be up before 7.30, and in by 9.

And that's considering a typical 9-5, where with the number of places on flexitime and the like a lot of places don't start until later. My office is probably busier at 18:20 than 9:20.

Plus with a lot more people working from home at the moment, with no commute, I find it a stretch to claim that most people are awake at 7am.

JayRoc

Cheensbo wrote: »

I'd also be interested to know the suggestions, also to know what laws are apparently being broken.

The residents of the area seem to have excessive expectations when it comes to noise, especially temporary noise.

Depends on what people consider temporary, too. I wouldn't be bothered kicking up a fuss about something that lasts a week or two. But if something is going to take longer than that, especially in a residential area where people would be entitled to expect peace and quiet (as opposed, say, to living in the IFSC or whatever) I think it would be a good idea for someone doing extensive work on their house to consider the feelings of their new neighbours.

Also, from my recollection, I believe planning permission will often contain a reference to what time of day works are permitted.

A couple of years ago, a large-ish building site in the middle of my estate was only granted PP on the basis they didn't start work before 8am. This was enforced by the council after the builders initially took the mick.

Cheensbo

MOH wrote: »

I genuinely find this bizarre. I don't think I've ever been up at 7am to go to work. Even with an hour commute I wouldn't be up before 7.30, and in by 9.

And that's considering a typical 9-5, where with the number of places on flexitime and the like a lot of places don't start until later. My office is probably busier at 18:20 than 9:20.

Plus with a lot more people working from home at the moment, with no commute, I find it a stretch to claim that most people are awake at 7am.

Lucky you, I dont think I've ever had a job that allowed me to get up after 7am.

One thing we can all probably agree on is that most construction workers are long since up at 7am

JayRoc

Cheensbo wrote: »

One thing we can all probably agree on is that most construction workers are long since up at 7am

Agreed! But that is their choice. Those of us who don't work in construction don't need to get up as early.

Cheensbo

JayRoc wrote: »

Agreed! But that is their choice. Those of us who don't work in construction don't need to get up as early.

That's your choice though?

Strumms

Trouser Snake wrote: »

Have you or any of the WhatsApp group relayed your concerns to the owner of said building site? You will be living beside him in the future, surely your first point of contact won't be a letter from your "go getter" lawyer friend.

I’ve no idea who the neighbor is, or will be. The house was sold in summer ‘19 had been super nice elderly folks there but both passed away within months of each other and has been idle with nobody living there ever since.

I’ve less concern with who WILL be living there but this fûcking AM shîtshow that’s happening now in the meantime.

listermint

Strumms wrote: »

I’ve no idea who the neighbor is, or will be. The house was sold in summer ‘19 had been super nice elderly folks there but both passed away within months of each other and has been idle with nobody living there ever since.

I’ve less concern with who WILL be living there but this fûcking AM shîtshow that’s happening now in the meantime.

it is your perception that you own recent works didnt annoy anyone. How do you know some of your neighbours were not complaining online or to their friends or other neighbours about you.

Here is some useful information, demolition takes a few days or maybe a week or 2 max, then its into build stage.

Sit back relax have a tea, this isnt long term so dont make it one by falling out with people. These could be genuinely new friends.

Cheensbo

listermint wrote: »

it is your perception that you own recent works didnt annoy anyone. How do you know some of your neighbours were not complaining online or to their friends or other neighbours about you.

Here is some useful information, demolition takes a few days or maybe a week or 2 max, then its into build stage.

Sit back relax have a tea, this isnt long term so dont make it one by falling out with people. These could be genuinely new friends.

^ This guy can explain it without sounding like a dick like I do :pac:

Strumms

listermint wrote: »

it is your perception that you own recent works didnt annoy anyone. How do you know some of your neighbours were not complaining online or to their friends or other neighbours about you.

Here is some useful information, demolition takes a few days or maybe a week or 2 max, then its into build stage.

Sit back relax have a tea, this isnt long term so dont make it one by falling out with people. These could be genuinely new friends.

They may have been. One unsuccessfully challenged my planning based on the addition to the house blocking their sunlight which was plainly an untruth it wasn’t going to and didn’t . But every consideration was made regarding neighbors in the process of planning, building and the carrying out of ALL works.

there were people onsite at 8.00 for tea and talking and work commenced at 9.00 thereabouts.

Trouser Snake

So they were paid to sit around an hour drinking tea before they commenced work?

seannash

Trouser Snake wrote: »

So they were paid to sit around an hour drinking tea before they commenced work?

I'm assuming this is to my comment,
No they did work, just no banging or drilling. They could screw and fasten.
If you've ever worked in commercial occupied spaces you'd know there is designated quiet time. You have a window where you can drill and hammer during those hours but up until then the work was light.
Its not an alien concept in building, anyone who can organise a job site can work within these requests.

Strumms

Trouser Snake wrote: »

So they were paid to sit around an hour drinking tea before they commenced work?

They might have been slow drinkers. at a guess they’d have been using the time for some preparatory work and getting materials, tools and machinery together, not so much as a nail getting hammered though. Great job too, brilliant in fact.

Dudda

Trouser Snake wrote: »

So they were paid to sit around an hour drinking tea before they commenced work?

Two hours if they were due to start at 7am and didn't start until 9

Even doing prep work or not using noisy tools this isn't as efficient and does cost money even if it's not much.

Strumms wrote: »

.. some nifty suggestions from one girl who is a lawyer.

If we've all established that legally the builder is doing nothing wrong with regards the noise then all this lawyer can suggest is using tactics to cause problems and delays.

If you don't like living beside a building site I'd strongly question do you want to go down this route causing problems which might delay this project and result in you living beside a noisy building site for longer than originally planned.

JayRoc

Cheensbo wrote: »

^ This guy can explain it without sounding like a dick like I do :pac:

Ah I don't think you sound like a dick. I guess most people (yourself and myself included) tend to fall into the trap of presuming their lives, and the lives of the people they spend the most time with, are typical of the whole country.

Out of curiosity I looked for what the last census said. 365k people are out of the gaff by 7am. That's about 7% of the population.

Strumms

The slightly annoying part is that since about 11.00 there hasn’t been a fûcking scratch of a sound... when compared to the cacophony that shattered the tranquility just at 7.00

anyway...

sydthebeat

JayRoc wrote: »

Ah I don't think you sound like a dick. I guess most people (yourself and myself included) tend to fall into the trap of presuming their lives, and the lives of the people they spend the most time with, are typical of the whole country.

Out of curiosity I looked for what the last census said. 365k people are out of the gaff on their way to work by 7am. That's about 7% of the population.

16% of the working population

hayoc

JayRoc wrote: »

Out of curiosity I looked for what the last census said. 365k people are out of the gaff on their way to work by 7am. That's about 7% of the population.

There are also lots of people who do creche/childcare drop offs before they head off to work. Or people who run or go to a gym in the mornings.

I get up at 5.30am for the gym, but I dont work til 9am.

JayRoc

hayoc wrote: »

There are also lots of people who do creche/childcare drop offs before they head off to work. Or people who run or go to a gym in the mornings.

I get up at 5.30am for the gym, but I dont work til 9am.

You're right. Maybe I should have been more clear. The figure I quoted just referred to people leaving the house at a given time. Not necessarily going to work.

JayRoc

sydthebeat wrote: »

16% of the working population

Sure.

Really the point I was trying to make is that while some people think 7am is not too early to be woken by construction noise in a residential area, the vast majority (93% of the population, or 84% of the working population) are either still in bed at that time or at least have not been up for long.

So the people who have commented in this thread that 7am is "not early" are obviously not representative of the overall population.

hayoc

JayRoc wrote: »

Sure.

Really the point I was trying to make is that while some people think 7am is not too early to be woken by construction noise in a residential area, the vast majority (93% of the population, or 86% of the working population) are either still in bed at that time or at least have not been up for long.

So the people who have commented in this thread that 7am is "not early" are obviously not representative of the overall population.

I think it largely depends on if people have kids - most people I know with kids have early starts as it takes time to get kids up and washed and dressed and fed before dropping them off to school or creche.

I dunno though, I dont have any myself and Im an early riser.

seannash

hayoc wrote: »

I think it largely depends on if people have kids - most people I know with kids have early starts as it takes time to get kids up and washed and dressed and fed before dropping them off to school or creche.

I dunno though, I dont have any myself and Im an early riser.

I think the result is the same, its a stat for when people walk out the door and its showing that most people are still in their house at 7am. They might be sleeping, might be exercising indoors or might be getting kids ready but the point of that stat is the house is still occupied for the vast majority of people at that time.
Add in working from home now and I'd say the percentage is higher now.

I'd be equally annoyed if I was getting the kids ready or myself ready for the day and a lot of noise was going on. Getting kids ready in the morning is no fun and add in some heavy drilling to the mix and I could see tempers being frayed.

Cheensbo

JayRoc wrote: »

Sure.

Really the point I was trying to make is that while some people think 7am is not too early to be woken by construction noise in a residential area, the vast majority (93% of the population, or 84% of the working population) are either still in bed at that time or at least have not been up for long.

So the people who have commented in this thread that 7am is "not early" are obviously not representative of the overall population.

The 7am thing is not just about what some people on this thread think though, it's the law and very much the norm for working restrictions imposed on workplaces/sites.

Most responses to the thread have been this or a version of this:

Normal construction hours are 7-6 mon-fri, 8-2 saturday.

Certain planning permissions may have certain restrictions outside of this, and certain quiet hours imposed but we do not know that as the OP has not provided the planning reference (nor should they really)

Zhane

Why don’t you drop in to the site, ask a builder or the site manager who the owner is and see if they’ll give you a number for them or give them your number and get them to call you. Don’t get into it with the builders, they won’t stop work useless told to by the owner. Once in touch with the Owner ,explain the situation to them. At the end of the day you’ll have to live next to these people and having a civil conversation with them is the best course of action at first. Sending in Lawyers first would not be well received and next time you wanna build something or even just having a party after 11 could lead to issues if they have a grudge.

s1ippy

Strumms wrote: »

The slightly annoying part is that since about 11.00 there hasn’t been a fûcking scratch of a sound... when compared to the cacophony that shattered the tranquility just at 7.00 anyway...

That is the worst.

[Deleted User]

JayRoc wrote: »

the vast majority (93% of the population, or 84% of the working population) are either still in bed at that time or at least have not been up for long.

How to you make that one out? My job has only two shifts. 7pm to 7am and 7am to 7pm. That means that 50% of the entire organisation is awake and at work at 7am. Most night staff wont be home and in bed by 7am. Most early workers will be awake at 7am, maybe not in work but awake and up.

If I was to guess or look it up, Im going to suggest that the people asleep at 7am are in a minority