Jonathan Dan’s renovations have been driving neighbours mad for eight years

A Sydney renovator has been sawing, drilling and banging at his adjoining beach side homes for more than eight years. His neighbours are now “nervous wrecks”.

Pictured is 18 to 20 Cliff Road, Collaroy, where neighbours have complained in the past about constant ongoing renovations that never cease. Picture: Tim Hunter

A constant renovator has been driving his neighbours mad with eight years of sawing, drilling and banging at his adjoining beach side homes.

Jonathan Dan’s frustrated neighbours have deluged the Northern Beaches Council with complaints claiming the racket is so bad that even Mr Dan and his family have had to move out.

But Mr Dan claims the constant renovations at his houses in Cliff Rd, Collaroy, are just part of adapting to a growing family and that with a block of units behind the houses there “is bound to be one who has a bee in their bonnet”.

Karen Flook, whose parents’ unit overlooks the building site, said after almost a decade the daily noise is “soul destroying”.

“People are nervous wrecks. It has just been eight years of noise. I visited my parents today and my nerves are shot. We had to close the balcony doors and put on the airconditioning to try and drown out the noise.

“People are stressed beyond belief just living here. Every day they just wait for the noise to start.

“People are absolutely sick of it. It is affecting the lives of 30 to 40 people every day.

Jonathon Danis renovating a Collaroy property. Picture: John Grainger

Jonathon Dan at one of his Collaroy homes. Picture: John Grainger

“Two years ago he told me he had moved out because his kids could not stand the noise but we are still stuck here with it.”

Retired lawyer Tony Nicod who lives in the units behind the site said several neighbours had contacted him to complain about the noise.

“It is my understanding that building work has gone on for eight years and the noise has been considerable for the units immediately facing the properties,” he said.

Northern Beaches Council chief executive Ray Brownlee said the council takes “very seriously” complaints about the length of time a renovation has taken to complete but was powerless to act.

“Unfortunately, this is outside Council’s control because there is no legislative requirement for building works to be completed within a particular time frame,” he said.

18 to 20 Cliff Rd, Collaroy. Picture: Tim Hunter

Development applications show Mr Dan first applied to begin alterations to his house at 18 Cliff Rd, Collaroy, in July 2016. Then in November 2016 he applied to demolish his house next door at 20 Cliff Rd and put up a site shed which was followed by an application to build a new house and pool in 2017. Work is continuing.

Mr Dan said the renovation had extended as his children grew up and the family requirements changed.

“The council has received complaints and we are dealing with it in that way,” he said.

“We are running perfectly within the bounds of the law. If there was a serious argument, the council would be on my back and we would be in court.

“It is just the reality that if you have a situation with 50 units looking over the house then there is going to be at least one person who has a bee in their bonnet.

“It is not continuous noise,” Mr Dan said.

“Power tools make noise and they can legally do that. I am not holding the power tools. It is like somebody cuts a bit of wood and then somebody else cuts something two hours later.”

Mr Dan confirmed he and his wife and children had moved out.

“We have been living there for seven of those eight years. We left in September 2021 because we were renovating inside the house.”

Despite the area being covered with tarpaulins and building materials he said the final touches were being put to the kitchen cabinets and the work was “almost done”.