Residents living in the shadow of a half-built giant 'mega-shed' in Walsall, West Midlands, claim their lives are being made hell by noisy construction works that shake their homes and damage their roofs. The massive 90,000 square metre commercial unit is being constructed on the site of a former Holiday Inn hotel that burned down in 2019.
Residents' grievances
The development, roughly the size of 12 football pitches, has left locals fuming after it seemingly sprang up at the end of their gardens without warning. Homeowners say the 'monster metal skeleton' blocks sunlight, making them feel as though they live next to a 'prison camp'. They report that drilling has caused roof tiles to fall off, and they fear their properties are now devalued by the 'huge eyesore'.
Personal accounts
NHS worker Sunita Chhokar, 38, who has lived in the area since 2008, expressed her distress: 'We want to move house but we fear the building will significantly devalue our home. Who wants to buy a house with that at the end of their garden?' She described the constant drilling as 'incredibly frustrating', making it impossible to concentrate while working from home. She also worries about noise once the building is operational, fearing it could be 24/7 and affect sleep.
Great-grandmother Kath Watkins, 75, a retired housing officer who has lived opposite the development for 47 years, called it an 'absolute monstrosity'. She said: 'I can see it from my kitchen window while I wash the dishes and it has been really noisy in the day. I just can't understand how they got permission to build it that big and that close to people's gardens.'
Satnam Lal, 58, a resident of 13 years, claims his concerns have been ignored. 'All the neighbours started a petition but nobody listened. We were aware of the planning application but didn't know it had got the go-ahead until it sprang up without any warning. Since then it has been horrific, my roof tiles have been damaged by the vibrations from the drills.' He believes the development has wiped at least £20,000 to £30,000 off house values.
Additional concerns
One resident, a 34-year-old mother-of-three who wished to remain anonymous, reported break-ins at the site at night, triggering a flashing yellow alarm beacon that makes it feel like living 'next to a lighthouse'. She said: 'The noise and vibrations have been absolutely horrendous. We've had no privacy with cranes overlooking our homes, workmen blasting music we can hear from our gardens. It's like a prison camp.'
Developer and council response
The Holiday Inn was destroyed by a fire on August 2, 2019, which West Midlands Fire Service concluded may have spread rapidly due to a lack of sprinklers. Commercial developers Graftongate and Cilldara Group acquired the site and are building 'Walsall 90', a logistics unit with parking for HGVs. Graftongate's website states the development will include energy panels, EV charging points, and low-energy LED lighting.
Walsall Council granted planning permission in May 2023, stating: 'Local residents were notified of the planning application and any comments received were considered before permission was granted. The developer is understood to be delivering the unit in accordance with the planning permission and attached conditions.' Graftongate and Cilldara Group have been contacted for comment.
