So I live on a usually quiet street in the middle of nowhere

[minimummi]

And for the last week I've had workmen drilling holes in the pavement outside my house!! I work from home and my office is at the front of the house. I can't think straight!!!!

Any suggestions - should I use earplugs?

That's nothing - my best friend had the council round a couple of weeks ago because the street lamp directly outside her house wasn't working (and hasn't done for months!).
They tried to change the lightbulb which didn't work, then proceeded to dig up the whole pathway outside. When this still didn't work, they dug a 4ft deep hole in the whole if her front garden!
All they left her was a 1ft pathway to her front door, and they didn't even tell her they were doing it! She came home from dropping the kids at school one morning to find she no longer had a front garden.
They then left it like it for the best part of 2 weeks before filling it back in. They said they'd give it a while for the ground to settle before coming and laying some topsoil and turf, then today she came back from school and they'd thrown some grass seeds at it! They'd not even bothered to cover them or anything!
And the funniest part of the whole story? They managed to fix the streetlamp but it doesn't go off! She said it's so bright she doesn't even need a light on in her bedroom at night now!
Good luck with yours - just make sure they can't get into your garden!

[minimummi]

Ah Debi that sounds terrible!!!!!!!!!!! Luckily they're not on my side of the street (yet) only irritating noise to put up with. I hope your friend gets onto the council to tell them to come and sort her garden. BTW, they are legally bound to put your property back EXACTLY as it was before if they do works that encroach onto it.

Xx

I told her to tell them it was landscaped and beautiful before they touched it! lol! A man from the council came round and took photos yesterday, apparently the contractors are to blame, not the council! Isn't that always the way - shifting the blame!

[minimummi]

Oh how very typical of the council!! Doens't matter if the contractors are to blame, it's the council that have a duty of care to your friend, not them. So the council are liable and have to put it back right. They have to lay turf, not seed.