A WORCESTER shopping centre was today due to officially unveil its new look – but for one group of residents the work can’t end soon enough.

The CrownGate’s Chapel Walk has undergone a £5 million makeover, including new floors, canopies and lights as well as the introduction of modern street furniture and works of art. But people living nearby say noise from the work has made their lives a misery.

They say pneumatic drills have been operated late into the night and at weekends. Peter Mrozek confronted the builders, and later posted video footage of his conversation on video sharing site YouTube. “It was so noisy that I could not even hear my wife talking in the flat,” said 30-year-old Mr Mrozek, who lives in Broad Street with his wife Beata and their two-month-old daughter Julia.

“There has been heavy construction work going on seven days a week, 24 hours a day.” Fellow Broad Street resident Chris Dimond, aged 31, agreed. “I am waking up in the early hours of the morning and hearing it. It is a pain, especially in the week days as I have to work,” he said.

When planning permission was first granted in January, 2008, work was restricted to between 8am and 6pm Monday to Friday and 9am to 1pm on Saturdays. But in April, 2008, Worcester City Council planning officers changed the conditions to allow work to continue throughout the night, although loud work must be finished by 10pm.

Although most of the major work has now ended, finishing touches will continue to be made over the next few weeks.

On behalf of The Crown Estate, centre manager Erica Burlace apologised to people living nearby and said: “In order to facilitate the works, and ensure that the main Chapel Walk thoroughfares are kept open and undisturbed for use by members of the public throughout working hours, we have agreed a variation of the planning consent with the council, allowing us to work during the night.

“We appreciate that there has been some increased noise levels, which have been unavoidable as we work towards this significant milestone in CrownGate’s history.

"We are working with both our contractors and the relevant environmental health officers to identify ways to manage disruption in the evenings, such as the use of a sound screen.”

Steven Williams, enforcement officer at the city council, said: “We are very sorry that this couple have been affected by the works in CrownGate.”

He said officers had met managers from the contractors Interserve and agreed for all noisy work to be suspended last weekend while his officers spoke to representatives from CrownGate.

• Click here for the YouTube video. WARNING: Contains strong language and threatening behaviour.