Forced to move due to Building work by the Enviroment Agency

Ade117

Hi all, I'm 51yo married man, I suffered a stroke (bleed-an artery burst in my brain) five years ago, I'm doing ok but I have mobility problems as well as ptsd, anxiety etc.. slowly they are improving, I've never spoken on a forum about my life and my dissabilities before, I/we have an issue....

We live near a river it's been wonderful living here it really has helped my recovery, it's nice and peaceful (or was).. We had a knock on the door in March telling us that the Enviroment Agency is going to build a flood defence wall next to our (and all the homes along our Close) and this work will start in June, I explaind my situation and loud noises and the upset would not be good for me as I'm house bound and can't work etc... now our home has the access point right next to the river so they will be using this entrance to deliver, plant and meterials, personel and other equipment Mon-Fri ( possibly Sat) 8am-6pm for six months at least.

They ignored my request for some help at first, the work started two weeks ago the weather was very hot, I sleep on a hospital bed in my kitchen which is at ground level I have windows and doors that open on to a little patio which is lovley when the weather is nice as we have birds that come to our feeders and its next to the river, we had an excavator working not 6ft away from my windows for days on end pumping out noise and fumes from it's engines stright into the house as the windows were open, closed them and it was far too hot, we had work men shouting as they do etc.. my wife had to have a word as they were swearing very loudly.. we have work going on down the side of the house and round the back where my kitchen/bedroom is, the front of the house is now a drop off point for machines and equipment.

This has taken me over the edge when I'm stressed my muscles in my weakside go stiff making mobility really hard, anyway I asked them to stop as I cant cope with the fumes, noise stress etc, they sent me a text saying they would provide ear defenders, a fan and an air purifier. I was gob smacked !! I then asked them in a text to "explain to me how this would work"... anyway after they called me, I demanded they STOP all work as I'm really suffering and I went over the issues that I had already told them about in March, they came to see us 2 days later (after stopping the work near our home) and basically said, they will pay for us to move to temporarry home that is suitable for me/us they will pay for everything including the rent (as we rent) on our home by the river... but the stress of moving, trying to find a suitable home, then having to apply, credit checks, informing all the people we have accounts with, DWP, banks, council ... you know the list is never ending. We rent at the moment and the landlord might sell if it's empty, we can afford the rent here and it suits our needs we have had hand rails fitted etc meaning the temp house will need hand rails etc... the temp homes we have found suitable are double the rent, so if our landlord sells or relets we are stuck with double the rent £1500-£2000 rent a month instead of £750 our landlord has been wonderful and knows we cant afford much as I cant work anymore and has kept the rent low, we have lived here for 10 years.

So I fear when the building work has finished ( the Enviroment Agency will pay for 12 months rent and bills) but I dont want to be forced out of my home.. although I do realise the work is important. I feel they are rushing us out as they can't do the work..

Where do we/I stand today and in the future ?

I need a suitable bungalow with flat access with near the door parking, we have that here (all be it a house but I cope) .. It's all too much for me/us I struggle trying to sort it all out and my wife works full time as well as caring for me I feel awful for her as she copes as best she can.

Thank you

newborn

Possibly you may need to be realistic, and accept they cannot abandon flood defence because of you, so legally they will have done all that a court would consider reasonable. They offered 12 months costs of another place. That means you could use your existing financial resources to pay rent and standing charges for your existing rental home, while it is mainly left empty. That would be a help, anyway, because it means your wife, at least, can pop back and check on things, and you can keep most of your belongings there. And, keep that address for  whatever mail you like. 

You just need to get yourself out, not your stuff. 

That gives you a far better option of rehousing yourself. As you say, getting a replacement disability suited rental place would be next to impossible.   But getting a reasonable agreement for a year long hotel place would be much easier. Hotels, unlike most homes, are accessible. You could possibly  just find a suitable modest hotel, and get the flood defence people to negotiate terms with them, since they would be the ones paying.  And, since the hotel would be reassured that an official agency was paying.

Your meals in a hotel would at first sight seem to be an extra cost, but on the other hand you would not pay the heating, gas or electricity or water  bills for a year, only the standing charges, so you would probably find a hotel year would overall save you money.   

Looking at the glass half full side could be a help for you. There always are two sides to a coin. For example, if you  find a suitable, quiet part of a suitable hotel you would have peace when you like, or company to some extent at any time you choose.

Your wife would quite possibly find it a pleasantly restful change to just deal with going to work, and spending time with you, but not needing to bother about housework and cooking for a year. In a hotel, everything is done. Daily cleaners, fresh sheets and towels all appear. So does the food you choose, cooked and placed at your table, then the dishes are cleared away and washed.   

Your own personal laundry could be done at your existing house. Presumably if the flood barrier work is not done on Sundays, you could spend time back home then, maybe from Saturday afternoon to Monday morning?. 

Sandy_123

Hi @ade117 welcome to the forum 
Sorry to read about your situation  and can see what a night mare it is for you.
I would suggest you speak to your landlord to see if they have any other properties you could use, whilst work is being done. It might be an option, also they be able to speak to the workers.
Also would you consider going into respite care if they paid the costs to give you a break from it all? 

Ade117

newborn said:

Possibly you may need to be realistic, and accept they cannot abandon flood defence because of you, so legally they will have done all that a court would consider reasonable. They offered 12 months costs of another place. That means you could use your existing financial resources to pay rent and standing charges for your existing rental home, while it is mainly left empty. That would be a help, anyway, because it means your wife, at least, can pop back and check on things, and you can keep most of your belongings there. And, keep that address for  whatever mail you like. 

You just need to get yourself out, not your stuff. 

That gives you a far better option of rehousing yourself. As you say, getting a replacement disability suited rental place would be next to impossible.   But getting a reasonable agreement for a year long hotel place would be much easier. Hotels, unlike most homes, are accessible. You could possibly  just find a suitable modest hotel, and get the flood defence people to negotiate terms with them, since they would be the ones paying.  And, since the hotel would be reassured that an official agency was paying.

Your meals in a hotel would at first sight seem to be an extra cost, but on the other hand you would not pay the heating, gas or electricity or water  bills for a year, only the standing charges, so you would probably find a hotel year would overall save you money.   

Looking at the glass half full side could be a help for you. There always are two sides to a coin. For example, if you  find a suitable, quiet part of a suitable hotel you would have peace when you like, or company to some extent at any time you choose.

Your wife would quite possibly find it a pleasantly restful change to just deal with going to work, and spending time with you, but not needing to bother about housework and cooking for a year. In a hotel, everything is done. Daily cleaners, fresh sheets and towels all appear. So does the food you choose, cooked and placed at your table, then the dishes are cleared away and washed.   

Your own personal laundry could be done at your existing house. Presumably if the flood barrier work is not done on Sundays, you could spend time back home then, maybe from Saturday afternoon to Monday morning?. 

Thank you this all makes total sense, i will look into these options, thank you for taking time to write all this, sometimes you need someone with a clear head unlike mine that's been through the wars.

Many Thanks

Ade117

Sandy_123 said:

Hi @ade117 welcome to the forum 
Sorry to read about your situation  and can see what a night mare it is for you.
I would suggest you speak to your landlord to see if they have any other properties you could use, whilst work is being done. It might be an option, also they be able to speak to the workers.
Also would you consider going into respite care if they paid the costs to give you a break from it all? 

Hi Sandy, looking into all this, Thank you so much for the reply, Ade117

Hannah_Alumni

@Ade117 Welcome to the community!  

I'm so sorry about everything that is going on, it does seem that they are willing to negotiate and compensate so it's good to hear there is that line of communication open.

I echo what Sandy has said about speaking to your landlord, make sure they are in the loop and maybe they could help. I also agree with Newborn that although it may be stressful for a day or so, a hotel stay sounds like it could provide some rest for you. 

Please keep us updated  

newborn

Or, thinking even more about the glass half full, you are lucky to get a flood barrier when millions need one just as much. Lucky to have a caring partner when millions have nobody who cares if they live or die, have no carer and no companion until they die, alone and unwanted . Lucky to have a private rented home when millions need one.  You could buy yourself noise cancelling earphones and learn to live with the construction sounds, just as all your neighbours will.  

Are you quite sure you need to move out?

It is understandable for all humans to resist all change. When it is forced on us, the only thing we can do is look for some good side to it. Being secure from flooding must be good. The change forced on you at any moment from being flooded out (if you survive drowning) would be worse than having the construction noise.  You never know, even the change to seeing a lot of activity during the day might be something you (and the birds you enjoy watching) will steadily get accustomed to.

MW123

Hello Ade 

I'm sorry to hear about the difficulties you're facing with the ongoing construction of the flood defence wall near your home. I understand that the noise, fumes, and overall stress caused by the construction work is having an effect on your health.  These circumstances are undoubtedly burdensome for anyone, even those in good health. 

Although it may not provide much comfort to you, it is important to acknowledge that the flood defence work is necessary to protect your home from potential flooding. Without these measures in place, the consequences of a flood could be much more severe and would likely result in a longer displacement from your home. 

Regarding the current situation, have you considered discussing with the  environment agency and your landlord the possibility of erecting a temporary higher fence along the site access path.  While it may not be aesthetically pleasing, it could help to mitigate some of the fumes and provide a small barrier from the construction activities. 

Additionally, you might explore with them the option of installing a noise-defending acoustic barrier, similar to what a friend of mine did. She had one attached to her fence, which significantly reduced the noise from a busy A road with constant juggernaut lorries I was sceptical at first, but these barriers have proven to be effective and minimise noise.   

Another suggestion could be to discuss the possibility of having triple-glazed windows fitted to the ones facing the construction site. This would help to reduce both noise and fumes entering your home.  Again the final decision would rest with your landlord.  Based on the information you provided, it appears that your landlord is quite flexible and understanding.  

Furthermore, you might consider requesting a high-quality portable air conditioning unit. While they can be costly to run (around £15 per day), they can effectively improve the air quality indoors and provide some relief from the fumes.  The environment agency may well help pay toward the running costs. 

I understand that the list of suggestions I provided may seem extensive. However, if I were in your situation, I would  consider these options as alternatives to having to uproot my home. It's important to explore different possibilities and find solutions that can help improve your living conditions now without having to relocate.

Whatever you and your wife decide to do, I hope everything turns out positively for both of you.