Contractors who have been building new homes on a housing estate have had to draft in two traffic marshals to deal with complaints from residents – but are still coming under fire.

Balfour Beatty has been on site at Carnation Crescent and Temple Way in East Malling – a Russet Homes development – since last year as part of a scheme to provide 56 new homes.

The KM reported how a traffic supervisor had to be drafted in to cope with arguments between workmen and residents in September last year.

But the situation has deteriorated so much between feuding locals and builders that the company now has a customer services’ team on site, and has been holding regular meetings with residents.

But people living in the area are still up in arms about workmen blocking their driveways and, pavements and other inconsiderate parking and, as well as audible foul language during the work, and say they feel their concerns are being dismissed.

Resident, Simon Cocks, said: “The scaffolders working up there are really effing and blinding. All we can hear is foul language being shouted from the top of the flats.

“Two car parks have been given back to Russett Homes, but they still park where they like.
Neighbours have found their vans halfway across their drives, and they block the pavements so mums with pushchairs and children have to walk in the road.”

A spokesman for Balfour Beatty, which is working on the Winterfield and Step Stiles housing scheme, said: “Balfour Beatty works hard to be a considerate neighbour and to minimise our impact on the communities where we work.

“On this project, situated in a busy residential area, we employ a dedicated site-based customer liaison team to act on concerns as they arise.

“Among other actions, this has resulted in the ongoing employment of two vehicle marshals to mitigate parking and delivery issues, the initiation and holding of residents’ meetings, and providing enhanced briefings to our supply chain partners.

“We continue to listen to the concerns of residents and would encourage anyone with a concern to contact our site customer liaison team.”

The work is scheduled to be completed by February.