A PENSIONER has told of his five-year nightmare opposite a building site which he describes as a “dump”.

Ian Smith, of Church Road, Hadleigh, says he is at his wit’s end with a stalled renovation opposite his home.

The 74-year-old says work has been ongoing at the site for more than five years but has long since stalled, with “hardly a workman in site for years”.

Castle Point Council has carried out an investigation, finding although the development has been “slow”, it is not breaching planning regulations.

Echo:

Mr Smith, who has lived in the road for more than 40 years, says work began at the start of 2017 at number 70.

Plans for the  two-storey rear extension, front extension, side roof extensions and internal and external alterations were approved by the council in 2015.

Simultaneously, the occupants had plans for a second detached-home to be built next to the renovated property approved.

Work on this second home was undertaken and “without any major or unacceptable noise or nuisance,” according to Mr Smith, was completed in about 18 months.

Soon after, work began on redeveloping the original property.

“But now there are hardly ever workmen on the site, it’s a ghost site.

"I just can’t see when the building is going to be completed, it feels like it will be stuck like this forever,” Mr Smith said.

“I don’t want to harp on about the impact on my life, I’m no shrinking violet, but I do not enjoy coming out of my house every morning and being greeted by a dump.

“Everyone else in the area, some who are elderly, keep their homes in good condition, and I find this an insult to the neighbours and a lack of consideration.”

He added: “I have made numerous complaints to the council but they have been met with no progress.”

A spokesman for Castle Point Council said: “Mr Smith is unhappy with the outcome of the investigation  of an enforcement  investigation carried out by the council which has been closed.

“No enforcement notice has been served in respect of this property. A planning contravention notice was issued and resolved.

“The investigation concluded  that the owner is making, admittedly extremely slow, progress on the development of their private dwelling. They occupy the dwelling and it is in a good state of repair from a safety perspective, imposing no obvious physical harm to the safety of neighbours.”