IT WAS her dream house by the sea — but less than two years after moving into her waterside cottage in Cowes, Jane (not her real name), is looking to move due to unbearable noise and house-shaking vibrations from the new floating bridge.
Jane, 36, of Medina Road, who suffers from nocturnal epilepsy, claimed it had become so bad it has caused her seizures to start again.
She said: "It started to happen when there were works through the night and my GP says it's due to the lack of sleep.
"The shock of the prow landing shakes the windows."
Jane was not the only resident to claim they had been forced out since the new vessel came into service.
Her neighbour Annie O'Sullivan, 46, had moved back to London because of the noise.
She said: "I bought the cottage so my mum could spend some of her retirement there but it's been so difficult - she's quite fragile - I wouldn't want to risk taking her there in case she couldn't sleep.
"Unless the noise reduces and I can put my mother in the cottage she wanted to retire in, it's very unlikely I'll be back on the Island soon."
This week, their complaints were backed by an investigation carried out by Isle of Wight Council environmental health, which found noise inside the cottages, with windows closed, reached up to 42 decibels above World Health Organisation guidelines.
The report found 'impact noises from the floating bridge operations were significant within residential properties' and that residents' complaints 'appeared to be justified'.
However, it added: "The council is unable to take enforcement action against itself, so no formal determination of 'statutory nuisance' can be made."
Annie added: "I don't like to make a fuss and try to be very supportive of the Island but I just feel we've been ignored."