Locals living in "earthquake" as development causes walls to crack

RESIDENTS LIVING IN NORTHFIELD TERRACE, CHELTENHAM, HAVE SAID THE BUILDERS AND COUNCIL "DIDN'T CARE" WHAT THEY WERE "PUTTING PEOPLE THROUGH" SINCE WORKS BEGAN FOR

THE 147-HOME WAVENSMERE HOMES SCHEME 05:28, 21 May 2025 Residents in Northfield Terrace are claiming their lives have been turned upside down by what they describe as an

"earthquake" due to tremors from a nearby construction site causing cracks in their walls. Locals have voiced their frustration, saying that developers and Cheltenham Borough

Council seem indifferent to the damage and disturbance caused by the ongoing construction of the 147-home Wavensmere Homes development. They allege that since the commencement of the

building project, their homes have suffered "a lot of cracks" as a result of the vibrations. READ MORE: SHAKE-UP OF PRIMARY SCHOOL MEALS Some residents have expressed how the

construction has left them feeling "very distressed" and "desperate" to leave their homes during the work hours. Emma Chetwynd Stapylton, aged 55, was among the first to

flag up worries when she noticed fissures appearing in her home's walls towards the end of February. Emma and her partner Rory, 61, who both work remotely during the construction

period, find themselves unable to escape the incessant noise and juddering. Working as a marketing consultant, Emma remarked: "The ground works have been incredibly noisy and very dusty

and more recently they have started doing the pilling preparations for the 147 houses they are going to build." She added, "My house is actually on the end so I think there is an

element of a shockwave that is coming down the house. I have got significant cracks in every room but one. "My neighbours have had cracks and things falling down the walls - the

vibration work has been literally unbearable. "Every day we find new cracks. I wander around the house thinking "what is going to be next?". Emma revealed that both the

developers and Cheltenham Borough Council are advising residents to claim on their insurance for the property damage. She further stated that the council assured her that their actions are

"all legal" and "all under the monitoring levels". Emma continued: "The developers said "sue us, claim on your insurance" - but my excess would increase

and my premiums would skyrocket. "They have unequivocally told me they will monitor noise and vibration, but any damage to the house is my responsibility. "I can't stand

injustice and I think it's unjust that we will end up having to foot the bill for the damage to our homes." Emma and her partner are apprehensive that the forthcoming piling work

might inflict damage on the Grade II listed buildings on St Margaret's Terrace. She concluded: "My underlying feeling is that the council didn't assess this area properly to

see if all buildings or houses could withstand modern day techniques." Mike Harris, 41, a brand manager, described how the cracks in his home emerged from "day one" of the

works commencing. He observed that the cracks have "worsened". "The cracks are frustrating," he admitted. "They are in the main bedroom, the second bedroom where the

girls sleep, on the landing and downstairs in the hallway. "They progressively got longer and bigger. The cracks weren't there to start with." Mike, who resides with his

spouse and their trio of youngsters aged 11, 7, and 2, has expressed concerns over the racket and tremors "caused by the development" affecting their home. He remarked: "It

should be a safe place to live in and they have been worried with noises and vibration. "It is not like a home comfort when you go home. My wife and my youngest are at home a lot more.

Sadly we have got to get use to it now. "Everything is vibrating and the objects are moving in the surface of the kitchen. It is like a mini earthquake just vibrating." Despite

reaching out to authorities and developers regarding the disturbance, Mike feels his voice is unheard, describing the situation as "pretty sad". He related: "I sent an email

with no response and it has just been ignored by the council and the builders. MP Max Wilkinson he replied saying that they would be interested to see what happens next." Rory Parsons

also highlighted the nuisance of "caused by the construction works"-induced dust making every vehicle on the street "filthy". He observed: "We can clean our car at 9

o'clock in the morning and by lunchtime it is filthy. "As you go down the street everybody's cars are completely filthy." Echoing Mr Parsons, 80 year old retiree Terry

Stevens emphasised that the airborne dirt is his residence's "biggest issue". He asserted: "The dust is horrendous - it is like being in the Sahara desert in a sandstorm.

"We have had an ornamental clock come off the wall. We took a big mirror out because we were worried it was going to fall off." Ms Abraham, the activities coordinator, expressed

her inability to continue residing in her home due to the severe impact of nearby construction. She commented: "My main concerns are the stability of the house and the back wall and the

chimneys. "It is impossible to stay in bed after 8 o'clock because everything shakes - the whole house rattles. "It is impossible to stay in the house all day with that going

on." Bernadette Reed, from Cheltenham Borough Council's public and environmental health department, acknowledged the disruption but assured: "The work required at the

development will be noisy to some degree and for a time, disruption is to be expected,". "However we have reviewed the results from monitoring equipment installed on site and

confirmed that appropriate steps are being taken that will ensure these effects are minimised as far as possible. "We will continue to monitor this site throughout the project and will

take appropriate action as necessary to try and ensure that the developers keep any disruption as minimal as possible". Craig Gee of Wavensmere Homes showed empathy towards the locals

disturbed by the recent works: "We sympathise with the concerns raised by residents local to our Arkle Court development site in Cheltenham, regarding the ongoing enabling works carried

out by our appointed specialist groundwork contractor." He detailed their compliance measures: "All construction activities are being conducted in accordance with the approved

Construction Management Plan (Condition 9) and Noise Mitigation Scheme (Condition 5), both approved by Cheltenham Borough Council before site clearance began. "These measures are

designed to minimise disruption, whilst ensuring the project to deliver 147 much-needed new homes progresses safely and efficiently. "In response to residents' feedback, additional

measures beyond those required by the approved conditions have been implemented on-site to further reduce noise disturbances during the final stages of site clearance. This includes the use

of different machinery to negate the use of louder 'breaker' type machinery. Article continues below "The development is being delivered sequentially from the eastern

boundary with North Place, running anti-clockwise to improve the site frontage. The initial phase of any development typically involves the most intrusive work. Given that the removal of

hardstanding elements is nearing completion, noise and vibration levels from the site will decrease significantly."