Residents in Broad Street Green, Heybridge, have been disturbed by overnight works at the nearby Westcombe Park development, which are set to continue until Sunday (October 16).

Contractors are connecting a new relief road to the existing public highway, requested by Maldon District Council as part of the developers' planning obligations.

However, residents living close to the works have complained that their sleep has been disturbed due to the workers' machinery.

Paula Bamford, a resident in Broad Street Green, says her complaints had been ignored.

She told Nub News: "We still have to get up and do a day's work each day. Needless to say, we are all very short-tempered at home.

"All the work at the moment is directly outside our house - we've been putting up with day work and noise all summer.

"The house and cars are constantly filthy."

In a letter to residents last month, FM Conway, the contractors working on behalf of Countryside Properties, said road closures would be in place overnight from last Sunday.

Road closures are currently in place at night, between the hours of 8pm to 6.30am; with two-way traffic lights in place during the day, from 6.30am until 8pm.

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Essex Highways is said to have told contractors that the road could only be closed at night.

A spokesperson for Essex Highways told Nub News: "Daytime road closures would not have been acceptable in this case due to its strategic importance to local communities and the affect it would have on public and school bus services during term time.

"These activities are an unavoidable piece of work, with residents contacted in advance and encouraged to raise any concerns they might have directly with the contractor.

"The developer and their contractors are making every endeavour to programme noisy activities, so they are limited to the beginning of the nightshift wherever possible.

"However, given the way that construction works need to be sequenced, this is not always possible.

"Essex Highways will continue to work with the developer to keep local inconvenience to a minimum.

The nightworks are currently on schedule and are due to finish on Sunday, "subject to no unexpected issues arising".

Countryside Properties has been approached for comment.