Some 100 residents of the Gurney Park condominiums have signed a petition urging the Penang Municipal Council (MPPP) to shorten the working time of a neighbouring project.

Stating that loud noises coming from the upscale Gurney Paragon construction were affecting their daily lives, the group asked for daily working hours to be brought down to until 6pm instead of 10pm.

“For 14 hours daily, we have to keep our windows and doors shut to keep the dust out and to minimise the noise disturbance caused by the construction works,” read a letter accompanying the petition that was recently sent to MPPP president Patahiyah Ismail and Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng.

The group’s legal advisor Gooi Hsiao Leung said they had been made aware that the project’s latest work permit, which allowed construction to go on until 10pm, had expired on May 2.

“Following this, we hope MPPP will consider the residents’ request that the next permit limits working hours to between 8am to 6pm,” Gooi said in a press conference at his office. Currently, the working hours are from 8am to 10pm.

Gurney Paragon, an integrated development project, includes twin 43-storey buildings, a lifestyle mall, festival square and the restored St Joseph’s Novitiate — a 1925 heritage building.

Calls to MPPP president Patahiyah Ismail were not returned.

When contacted, Datuk Khor Teng Tong, executive chairman of Gurney Paragon’s developer Hunza Properties Berhad, said if construction hours were shortened, it would take a longer time to complete the project.

“I know there is inconvenience, but with shorter hours, the inconvenience will be prolonged.

“Give me 15 months and we’ll finish the project,” Khor said, adding that the construction project was located in a commercial area where longer construction hours should be allowed.

He also said that residents in the area stood to gain in the long run as property prices were set to rise with the building of Gurney Paragon.

SOURCE: The Star