RESIDENTS are fuming over a development that is now months behind schedule.

Keel House in Poole, which is being transformed into a seven-story luxury retirement block, is causing problems for those living nearby who claim they were assured that the onslaught of construction traffic, debris and dust would be over by now.

The Esprit Retirement Apartments of 50 flats were meant to be completed last summer.

As previously reported, the developer - Quantum Group - said problems with exterior cladding had stalled progress.

Though the project is now back up and running, residents say they have had to deal with issues for months longer than necessary and there has been a lack of information.

Linda Hazell, of Denmark Lane, said as well as the building’s appearance being an “eyesore” until it is completed there has even been an incident where one resident’s window was smashed by chipping from a worker’s passing lorry.

Mrs Hazell said: “We were for the development. It’s for older people and we were quite happy it was going to be built there. But the construction traffic is a total nightmare. If they had knocked it down and started again it would have been quicker.”

Quantum’s head of construction, John Wischhusen, said the block “will be a building to be proud of”.

“We hope to be out of there within 18 months and if we can get that down to a year then we will work hard to do so. It is an upheaval but be assured we will do everything we can to get it right,” he said.

In a letter addressed to residents by councillor Philip Eades he says he has spoken to the developer about “poor neighbourliness” and concerns over building methods. The issues of “unsafe building practices” were strongly refuted, the letter claims, as were rumours that Chinese steel was being used. The letter also claims that residents’ cars and windows had been cleaned from debris and dust.

But Mrs Hazell said “residents have been given a whole tissue of lies”.

She said no residents she had spoken to had seen cleaners and a Chinese container was seen being driven at the development.