FED-UP residents say they are unable to use their gardens because of dust blowing from a building site.

Bellway Homes is building 84 homes in Holloway Road, in Heybridge, after plans for the houses were approved in September last year.

The site will form part of the North Heybridge Garden Suburb which will see up to 1,100 homes constructed.

As part of the planning permission Bellway Homes put forward a plan to manage dust pollution.

But despairing residents say dust is settling on their homes, cars and gardens, with some days being so bad they can’t spend any time outside.

Don Benson, chairman of Heybridge Residents Association, said: “The dust, and at times it is quite intensive, has blown from the site and settled on homes and vehicles, causing distress and expense in cleaning to residents of Holloway Road.

“The dust is such that residents were unable to open their house widows and use their gardens for drying washing.

“It has also been mentioned, at times the dust was so heavy it was a bar to children playing in their own gardens.”

Mr Benson said Bellway Homes has used water to dampen the dust on the roads leading into the site but it has had little effect due to the hot, dry weather of recent weeks.

Holloway Road residents have since written a complaint to the Bellway Homes head office to try to resolve the situation and are awaiting a response.

Mr Benson added: “Other issues are the large mounds of earth in many locations of the site and works vehicles working on site, which is where the majority of the dust is blown from.

“A letter, written by Holloway Road residents, explaining the full situation being caused by the Bellway site and asking for a positive response, is now on its way to the chief executive officer of Bellway Homes. We wait to see what sort of a response is received by the man at the top.”

Maldon District Council said if formal action is required it would be undertaken. A spokesman said: “The council is in contact with the developer as necessary to raise issues with them.”

Bellway Homes was contacted for comment but did not respond before the Standard went to press.