Greater Anglia is hoping to operate a new 24-hour maintenance shed next to a port in Essex.
The proposed site, which would occupy land below the A120 bypass on the outskirts of Harwich, would be used for the maintenance and storage of spare parts and carriages.
The train operator said in its application that it wants the shed to access tracks at Harwich at all times and get trains operational at short notice.
Restrictions are currently in place limiting site working hours to 8am and 6pm Monday to Friday and 8am to 1pm on Saturdays.
However, some residents living between the historic Harwich old town and the port are concerned about the impact it will have on their quality of life.
One resident of the road, Carol Sutcliffe, objected to the plans - saying the proposed works were making her anxious and the thought of them going ahead made her feel “physically sick”.
Another resident, Kalie Mills, took issue with the proposed work during evenings and weekends.
She said: “It [Yorktown Close] is a residential area so allowing work to be carried out 24/7 would create noise that would impact residents lives, especially if it was done after the hours of 7pm at night when people, including children, may be going to bed to sleep.
“I understand the need for the development but think that is reasonable to give permission 8am to 7pm Monday to Friday and not at weekends.
“Otherwise the noise pollution this will cause will be detrimental to the well being of residents out of those hours – we already have a working building site at near McDonald’s to contend with.”
In the noise assessment carried out by Carin Cross Civil Engineering, a worst-case scenario found the sound caused by the construction of the maintenance workshop and the machinery inside could have a “significant impact” for those living in nearby Yorktown Close, if the work was carried out between 7pm and 7am.
However, the engineers did make it clear that the scenario involved the use of machinery on the site 24 hours a day.
They recommended mitigating measures be taken and made clear before the plans are approved.
Essex Highways wasconsulted regarding the plans and raised no objections.
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