Enjoying the dream of building: – I want to open the window and scream

– Unable to sleep, subject to stimuli at all times, it stresses the nervous system.

– Do you ever get angry?

– Sind Ja? I want to open the window and scream.

Vera Holt closes the balcony door and looks at one of the five different construction projects at Malerhawkin in Enzo, Oslo. She is also one of the many neighbors who claim that they live in a dream of noise and dust that affects mental and physical health.

– My lungs got worse after we got here. Vera Holt, who is already battling asthma, says that when you start to cough, you may not get infections in the airways.

In the adjoining block lives a family of four. Inga Margaret Yettersbond holds nine-month-old almond in her hand. The boy starts to bite hard when we are there.

Chickenpox (nine months) Dry cough

– Yes, he had a dry cough, so did his brother. Mom says that probably all the dust in the air here is due.

He says he had tried to explain the problem at the health center the previous day and had otherwise convinced the doctor that the children were healthy.

The family moved to Enzo to avoid noise and dust from the road where they had previously lived. Now they go back to the area with the little ones, where there are no construction activities.

– I never thought there would be so many construction projects here at once. We would never have thought that developers would have so little respect for us living here, says Inga Margaret Yederspond

Work night04

The neighbor believes that suppliers and contractors are violating the rules and distributions on how much dust they can put in, how much and when they can work loudly.

For nearly two years, they have documented a lack of mitigation measures, quiet work until late at night, starting work at 04.20pm and picking up pigs early in the morning on weekends.

All photo documents and letters were provided to TV2 along with the developers and responsible organizations in the municipality.

– It’s money, time is money. Vera Holt says that when they do not face obstacles, nothing happens.

Worrying about children

Teacher Andreas Sigmo Daley has two young children who have to go through the construction area to a nearby school. He worries about the amount of dust.

– Everything in the air here, and penetrating through the windows, when you start to think about the kids being outside, it’s a little scary to think about, he says.

In Malerhawquin alone in Enzo, there are five different developers with home projects. The three most important are Usbl, Neptune Properties and Ponava.

Builders: – We go a long way

The projects include numerous subcontractors, suppliers, contractors and turnkey contractors. It is difficult to pinpoint exactly who may have violated the rules and distributions, and these indicate that builders are responsible and should be spoken to.

None of the builders will ask for interviews and answer questions, but some of them will answer by email.

“In our experience, our contractors and suppliers travel long distances to comply with noise limits and generally take into account the environments we create. I can understand that the total load is huge for some people who live in Enzo, considering that many projects take place there at the same time,” writes Anders Gregerson, director of Neptune Assets. .

There are now several housing projects taking place simultaneously in Oslo. According to a new report from Samfunnsøkonomisk analyze.no, over the past ten years, on average, more than 3,100 homes have been built in the capital each year.

Construction bonus

Now, after the epidemic subsided, it erupted. Currently, more than 5,000 homes are under construction in Oslo. Districts such as Hassel, Ekern, Ulven and Enzo are growing to the size of medium-sized Norwegian cities.

Construction will continue for many years, and works are in order.

– I think there are financial motives behind this, which breaks them down a lot and makes it harder for us to live here, says Inga Margaret Yedersbond, a mother of small children.

Another prominent developer is Danish Pononva, with its Norwegian office in Bergen. After discussions with the head office in Copenhagen, a spokesman writes in an email:

Ordinary fabrics in construction fences have a specific effect, dust spins on the fences. (…) Unfortunately this can be dusty and annoying. We follow guidelines and rules for dust and emissions. It is Ponava’s job to comply with these rules.

The interview will not be conducted

It is a municipality that exempts noise and emissions, and has several actors responsible for ensuring that the health of the neighbor is taken care of.

District Chief Physician Simon Rawlow usually writes in an email that dust and noise can cause mental and physical harm, but it is not known if levels have been measured at construction sites.

Rawlow also mentions that the Urban Environment Agency and the Planning and Building Agency are overseers.

The Urban Environment Agency responds that they do not have this responsibility and refers to the planning and construction company.

The municipality will consider the requirements for the documents

Paul Granberg, director of technology at the company, is responsible for overseeing such construction projects. He will not be interviewed on this. Instead, TV2 receives an email from the telecommunications industry’s Rolf Rollid.

“We are concerned with the compliance of those responsible for measurement (builders, editor’s note), for example, irrigation of construction sites during demolition work to reduce dust problems” and more:

“We (..) will consider whether we should request further documentation from the professional representatives of the developers as to whether the external environment has been taken care of,” writes Rolit.

None of the people access TV2, who should or should be in charge of supervision, write that supervision was carried out.

Lung disease

The mentioned neighbor says they have done this round dance countless times. They feel that the responsibility for proper work and its control is being dusted off.

– We feel we have no real counterpart, says Osmond’s mother, Inga Margaret Yederspond.

– It’s tired. It feels so useless. At first, when we talked to people who took this seriously, we thought something was going to happen. It’s hard not to ask, says Vera Holt.

They now fear that the price for the developer will be for their own and the children’s own health.

– I am sure you will see an increase in the number of lung diseases in this district in ten years, she says.