Paragon residents near Ilford Station complain of noise levels

Residents in Hutton Court, completed last year, say the sounds of trains, Crossrail construction and platform announcements are keeping them up at night.

Residents, who have asked for their names to be removed from media coverage, told Redbridge Council’s external scrutiny committee on July 2 that freight trains at 2am and announcements from 6am were audible even with windows closed.

A Swan Housing spokesperson insisted today that tests show the flats have “appropriate noise reduction measures”.

One resident told the committee: “We have been dealing with the developer, they say the soundproofed windows are actually quite good but, you have to think, we are next to the track so they are not good enough.

“The freight train at 2am is really noisy, even with the windows closed, they should be triple (glazed). One resident paid £2,000 to get triple-glazed windows in their bedroom.”

Committee chairman Cllr Kayer Chowdhury (Lab, Valentines) reassured the residents he would speak to planning enforcement officers “to see if the soundproofing was done properly”.

In response to the resident's claim that the developer only tested noise levels in the top-floor flats, further away from the tracks, he said it “sounds like they pulled a fast one”.

Cllr Mushtaq Ahmed (Lab, Cranbrook) added: “There will be a number of flats around these tracks and we have to ensure, if there are any mistakes made, they are corrected.”

Hutton Court is part of the 141-home Paragon development, which the Ilford Recorder reported was so dogged by building delays that the move-in date was moved nine times.

A spokesperson for Swan Housing said today that the company is “committed to providing high quality accommodation”.

They said: “This development in Ilford is located immediately next to the train line into London Liverpool Street, so has been designed to include appropriate noise reduction measures and during the sales process our teams ensured that buyers were clear on the location of their flat in the building.

“After concerns were raised regarding the levels of noise that can be heard, we responded to investigate and have carried out tests in two apartments in Hutton Court.

“Independent consultants have just this week confirmed that the flats tested were designed with the appropriate noise reduction measures, given the building’s proximity to the trainline.

“The report also confirms that the homes have been constructed, inspected and tested to meet both building regulations requirements and also World Health Organisation guidelines on noise.”

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