Sainsburys Offer Free Window Cleaning

Residents plagued by 10 months of dust offered window cleaner as compensation: UK supermarket giant Sainsbury's is compensating dozens of residents plagued by 10 months of noise and dust from the building of a new store – by paying for a window cleaner. More than 40 residents will have their windows cleaned as a 'goodwill gesture' before the opening of the firm's Newcastle store on November 3. But families whose Ashfields New Road homes back on to the development have been left insulted by the offer of a window-cleaner. They had expected hundreds of pounds of Sainsbury's vouchers after putting up with noise and dust from the building site for months.

Monica and Peter Wainwright (pictured) considered putting their two-bedroom terrace home up for sale after 43 years living in the street because of the disruption. Retired teacher Mrs Wainwright, aged 65, said: "We have completely lost a summer as we haven't been able to sit outside – nobody can give us that back. "I have cleaned the windows twice myself because they were so dirty you couldn't see through them. "Sainsbury's has said the window cleaning is the final offer and we have not even had an apology. "I don't want to stand in the way of progress but to be offered something worth £5 for what we have been through is horrendous."

The new Sainsbury's is being built on the former Newcastle College site. Retired gardener Mr Wainwright, aged 69, said: "This is an insult. I won't be shopping in the new Sainsbury's store even though it's next door. I'd rather go to Morrisons. "We had no trouble living next to the college. The only noise was when the students were coming in, dinner time or at going home time. But that was during the day and Sainsbury's will be open from 7am to 11pm." 

 Alan Rushton, who has lived in Ashfields New Road for 10 years, today labelled the window-cleaning offer as "derisory". The 59-year-old, who runs an electrical supplies shop, said: "I shall have the windows cleaned and I want the frames doing because they are filthy. We have had a lot of dirt and dust and we couldn't use our garden all summer because of it." Sylvia Butler, chairman of Ashfields New Road Residents' Association, lives on the opposite side of the road and has called in Newcastle MP Paul Farrelly. She said: "These people have had to put up with so much. It would have been nice for Sainsbury's to offer them at least a week's worth of free groceries."

Residents can expect their free window-cleaning service over the next fortnight. A letter to residents from Sainsbury's project manager Gary Mudge, below left, states: "Sainsbury's would like to offer you the opportunity to have your windows cleaned free of charge. "We are arranging for a window-cleaner to visit the properties in close proximity to the site to carry out window cleaning." In a statement to The Sentinel, Mr Mudge added: "Dirty windows was the most common complaint. "We believe window-cleaning is the fairest way to offer a goodwill gesture to those directly affected. "So far a large number of residents have taken us up on this offer."