An 'exhausted' resident living close to a Nottingham tram stop says his mental health has been affected as a result of the trams going past near his home. The complainant has written to tram bosses in which he said noise and vibrations emanating from points along the track from Bulwell tram stop were causing his house to 'shake'.
The allegations and complaints were published in a report released by the Greater Nottingham Light Rapid Transit Committee (GNLRT), which advises the city council on the operation of the tram system. The complainant said the alleged vibrations, at his property south of the tram stop, were causing him to lose sleep.
The man, who hasn't been named, wrote to tram bosses to request that tram speeds are reduced at this location, to mitigate the issue. There were also complaints made about alleged cracks appearing at the property, with fears over house devaluation as a result.
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The man, whose property is separated from the tram tracks by the Robin Hood Railway Line, which runs parallel to the tram tracks, has written to NET customer services on a number of occasions, requesting that tram speeds are reduced. But a report from the GNLRT clarifies NET customer service officials have responded by saying that there is no fault with the tracks, and that tram drivers are not exceeding the speed limit.
In one letter, the complainant wrote: "I write to you with such exhaustion, stress and worrying about my home which is leading to my health declining and my mental health too. I have lived at my address for ten years and in that time I've never experienced any issues regarding NET trams.
"My problem is when the trams leave Bulwell tram stop towards Highbury Vale there is a set of points the tram goes through. When the trams go through these points it makes my house rumble and shake, this has led to cracks in my bedroom walls.
"Every six minutes the trams pass my home. I've tried to contact NET to be told there is nothing they can do and there is nothing wrong with the track or the points. I accepted this and got on with things, but the rumbles got worse and I'm being woken up at night until 1am in the morning and then at 6am when they start running again.
"I don't get any peace at all causing me to suffer at my job when losing sleep. This stressful situation is making me not want to come home and making me want to move.
"I can put up with some noise but not the bangs and rumblings making my house shake. It is a serious problem which will devalue my house. No one will want to buy it with my home shaking the way it is."
NET Tram say they have carried out a "thorough investigation" since the complaint was raised. Officials say it is highly unlikely that vibrations caused by the tram could result in damage to the property, and they are not aware of any other complaints from neighbouring property owners, or from other members of the public, with regard to noise and vibration at this location.
A statement in the GNLRT report adds: "They [tram officials] have undertaken inspections of the tracks and have been unable to find any faults with this section of the line; monitoring of trams has not detected any excessive speeding by drivers."
Details in a separate GNLRT document state that apart from the complaint in question "there are no indications that noise levels have changed over time and there have been no reports from employees, customers or other local residents of unusual sounds or vibrations as trams travers the section".
Officials also say that because the stretch is an off-road section of the network with track laid on ballast which is designed to absorb vibrations, it is "highly unlikely that vibrations caused by a tram could cause the property damage reported".
However, people living at the nearby Padley Close, near the Bulwell tram stop, said they had experienced some "sleepless nights" as a result of living close to the tram stop. Nancy Owen, 53, said: "There have been some sleepless nights.
"It can be a bit of a pain at times, especially in the morning when you want a bit of a lie in but you can hear the noise of the trams going by. It doesn't happen often. But you do have those occasions when your mornings or your evenings are affected.
"Also the trains are right next to the trams and a lot of the time that is what's making a racket. It's not ideal, really. It's a lovely area and we can put up with it."
Retired Jim Crossley, 72, said: "It's difficult sometimes, you can barely hear yourself think. There was a time when I didn't know what to do. I'm settled here now and I suppose I've got used to it. It isn't always easy, though.
"Hopefully something can be done because I'm sure there are others who suffer with the noise. No damage has been done to the house luckily and it doesn't keep me awake fortunately. Maybe that's just me. I think the combination of the trains and the tram could be what does it."
Nottinghamshire Live has contacted NET for further comment. The issues are due to be discussed at the next GNLRT meeting at Nottingham City Council's Loxley House headquarters on Tuesday (December 13).
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