Residents are fuming about living next door to a "giant fridge" after a 280ft Chinese supermarket warehouse was built towering over their homes and gardens."

Angry homeowners in Nechells, Birmingham, say they wake each day to see the huge metal frame which looms over their properties growing bigger and bigger.

The "eyesore" structure will eventually be a 87m (285ft) x 35m (114ft) cold storage unit at Wing Yip - the UK's biggest Chinese supermarket chain."

But locals claim they were never consulted about the plans and have been left fuming by the "monster" size of the warehouse which overlooks their homes."



They say their lives have been made hell by the ongoing building work and fear once finished it will block out sunlight and devalue their properties.

Dad-of-three Imran Shaban, 40, said: "They said in the one and only letter they sent us that it was going to be a indoor refrigerator- so it's basically a giant fridge dwarfing our homes."

"There's only my garden and then a railway line separating us from it, looking out my window it just looms over the house."

"During the building work there's been a lot of dirt ending up on my car and my windows."

"They can be drilling early in the morning, the noise can be bad, I'm concerned about pollution too."

"We've got the Star City entertainment complex down the road - it's like they are building another one of those. Its bigger than any other building in the immediate area."

"You usually get them in industrial areas, not right next to people's homes. I think it will devalue homes as nobody wants to look out at that."

"I can't understand how they allowed it to happen but I guess the broke council have made some good money from it."

"I used to enjoy looking out at the blue skies on a sunny day - now all I can see is that big thing and it will block out more light once it's finished."

"They must have bought the entire road, which had an old pub on, but that's now gone and instead we have this towering above us."

"The main Wing Yip supermarket has been here my entire life but now they have thrown up this massive thing."

"My family has written to our local MP to see if anything can be done but I fear it is too late."

Another local resident Arfan Shaban, 41, who works in financial services, added: "It really stands out - its disproportionate in size to anything else in the area."

"There was no consultation with residents and I think there should have been. There was nothing about planning permission or whether we'd be happy with the height of it."

"We were just told its happening and that was that."

"I work from home so the noise of the building work has impacted me, it just really sticks out and looks out of place."

"We're worried about parking and traffic - we already have people parking around here when Aston Villa play."

"It will also block out our sunlight. It's a real eyesore."

Margaret Miah, 77, who has lived in her home for more than 40 years, said: "We had a letter last year saying building work will be going on."

"At first it was just the groundwork but now we sit and watch it growing every day."

"I think it would have been fair to have some sort of consultation or a meeting so they could discuss their plans with us."

"I think its going to be freezers on the bottom and offices at the top, there's probably going to be loads of lorries."

"It's so huge. It alters the area. If that's going to be windows at the top we're worried about our privacy too."

"We've been here over 40 years, there was a pub on the corner over 100-year-old which they've knocked down. It was part of our history."

"I'm surprised at the size of it, I never thought it would be that big."

A planning application said the 65m (20ft) tall building will create 2,838sqm of storage and office space near to the existing supermarket.

It was given approval by Birmingham City Council planning officer Carl Brace in December 2022.

His report stated: "The redevelopment will also involve more efficient use of brownfield land...having regards to this, and the intended use, the proposals are acceptable in principle."

"Overall, Given the existing industrial nature of the site, the proposed building scale and massing is considered acceptable in terms of impact on local character, albeit it is"
noted the scale is significantly greater than existing buildings.

"Concerns have been raised by local residents that the proposed building will be seen from neighbours gardens and houses and will be an eyesore"

"Overall the assessment identified that there would be changes to local views arising from the proposed development, but these would largely be limited."

"The concerns of the neighbours are noted, however, as detailed above the new building will be 45m from their houses and although they will be able to see the building it will not cause any overlooking or loss of amenity."

"The positive economic benefits arising from the scheme are considered to be significant and will include direct economic betterment."

"On the basis of the scale and nature of the development I attach significant weight to these benefits."

A Wing Yip spokesperson said: ""Wing Yip conducted a two-week pre-application public consultation on the plans for the new cold storage building in March 2022. "

"The consultation was supported by both a project website and leaflets delivered to around 100 neighbouring properties. "

"The planning application was then submitted in April 2022 before Birmingham City Council commenced its own statutory consultation on the plans in May 2022."

"As a direct result of this public engagement process, the proposed height of the new building was reduced by 20%, while other resident concerns regarding noise and highways access were also addressed."

"Members of the public were able to respond to the plans all the way up to its determination by Birmingham City Council's planning committee in December 2022, when the plans were approved."

"Construction of the building is now underway according to the designs approved by the city council."

"As part of the construction process, we appreciate the recent exceptionally dry weather has caused some dust management issues and an urgent review is underway to identify any measures that be taken to mitigate this."

"Two and half years on from receiving planning permission, the business is excited to be making progress towards delivering the economic and social benefits that were promised by these plans"."