Neighbours’ homes began to “violently shake” when workers started demolishing a church in Upper Clapton without permission.

Town hall chiefs had not been sent a demolition and construction management plan when CField Construction reduced The Redeemed Evangelical Mission (Trem) building to rubble last month.

They are knocking down and rebuilding the former warehouse in Upper Clapton Road, which the church moved into four years ago.

Trem will move into the basement of the new six-storey block, which will have 39 flats on top of it.

Debbie Plowman says the experience has been an absolute nightmare for her and others in her development next door.

“My flat shakes violently from 8am to 6pm Monday to Friday,” said Debbie. “The noise is terrible and there is dust everywhere.

“Obviously we were up in arms when we got the letter last year – knocking down a two-storey building for a six-storey one that will tower over us.

“They got planning permission but then the next thing you know we get a newsletter from the construction company saying they were putting up scaffolding in the back garden.

“My vehicle got damaged, so I contacted the council planning enforcement and health and safety executive. They informed me that the demolition and construction management plan has not yet been approved so therefore this should not be happening.”

It’s not the first issue Debbie has had with the building, either. She says she battled with the church for years about all-night parties before they eventually “got the message”.

Hackney Council told the Gazette an enforcement case had been opened following reports of a breach of planning control. But the demolition and construction management plan has since been submitted and approved in the last few days, so the case has been dropped.

CField or the applicant Rossdendale Homes did not respond to a request for comment.