Now that the better weather is here, the AWPR contractors are aiming to work seven days a week from 7am to 7pm. However the contractors have assured local residents that they “will only work additional hours at the weekend in areas where this is required.” This arrangement will be in force until 23 December, including public holidays.
Many local people have received a letter with these details.
Given the history of the project, and residents’ understandable concerns previously about seven-day working, I contact the council’s environmental health department.
I have received some assurances today, and was told that the agreement is to undertake “quieter structural and surfacing” works, on the understanding that the disturbance will be low.
That should mean “little or no perceptible noise above background levels at receptor, manual activities, limited plant and/or are continuous for 10 minutes in every hour”.
I was advised that the types of work now being undertaken differ from the opening phases of the works, which involved blasting operations and extensive earthworks – inherently noisy operations. It is possible now to proceed with less obtrusive works, granted that some work, concrete structure demolition and piling operations for instance, are inherently noisy.
Finally, I was told that the terms of the agreement contain a clause that states “Aberdeenshire Council reserves the right to revoke this agreement in the event of justified complaint being received.”