One person said the building work has been ‘inconvenient’
People who live near a construction site for ‘massive’ warehouses say they have felt their houses ‘rattle’. Work is well underway for the Boulevard development in Hampton, Peterborough, where three warehouses and a new Lidl store are being built.
The Lidl store is expected to create up to 40 jobs, while the warehouses are expected to create up to 153 jobs. However, those living nearby are not happy about the development.
Elisha Aurangzaib thinks the development will “bring a bit more to the community”, but has found the construction disruptive. She said: “Initially I thought I wasn’t too keen when they were building it.
“All I could hear was thumping. [My house was] rattling. I had frames and kitchen cabinets moving.”
One man, who wished to remain anonymous, has found the construction to be “inconvenient”. He said: “It has been irritating.
“It wasn’t much to start, but it has gradually gotten worse.” The man said it will be “nice to have a shop nearby”, but the development is “bigger than expected”.
He added: “It will bring more jobs but the other worry is traffic will build up in the area. It’s hard enough to get out of here as it is.”
Amanda Smith described the Boulevard as a “massive eyesore”. She said: “It’s been a big green space for so long. It feels out of the blue that they are doing it. It’s good to get a Lidl right in front, so I won’t even have to use my car for shopping.
“But then on the other hand, there is Aldi and Tesco basically next to it. And the warehouses, they are big eyesores. It feels like such a waste of a big space that could have been made into something prettier and more useful for the community. Hampton is becoming so overbuilt, and now they want ugly warehouses built in it.”
Nik, who asked to use his first name only, said it is a “bad thing”. He added: “There’s lots of traffic now and in time, once the customers start using the shop, it’s going to be chaotic. This place used to be quiet, but now it’s busy and always has people about.“
Another lady, who asked to not be named, said the construction has caused a “right racket”. She added: “Things in my house have moved about and rattled so much, it’s ridiculous. I don’t know if they even thought about the effect the building would have on people nearby.
“I’m all for bringing jobs in, but it feels like they could have tried to think of something else to build instead of warehouses. Maybe something else for younger people because you get more hanging about these days in Hampton with nothing to do.”
Sladen Estates, overseeing the development, has been approached for comment.