Luton residents' lives still 'blighted by concrete dust and noise' two years on from original complaints

Ground Construction Limited (GCL) was seeking retrospective planning permission to make concrete building parts for the third time

The Welwyn Garden City-based company supplies mainly cranes to building sites around the UK from its Toddington Road site.

The firm’s business is one of a number of commercial uses at the site, according to a report to the borough council’s development control committee.

“The lawful use of the land is for the storage, maintenance and repair of civil engineering plant,” said the report.

Planning permission for a tower crane on the site was granted for one year, but then an application to retain it was refused and an appeal later dismissed.

A subsequent attempt to continue the manufacture of building and construction parts in concrete on some of the site using a tower crane to move materials was refused.

A further retrospective application to carry on with this manufacturing process, without the use of a tower crane, was refused last year.

This application was refused because of “a failure to submit a noise and vibration assessment and the visual impact of the development with a caterpillar crawler crane”, which has been removed from the site.

“It is considered that the manufacturing process falls outside the scope of the lawful use of the site and requires planning permission,” added the report.

A protective hedgerow has been planted, but a noise barrier has still to be installed.

Residents claimed previously they could no longer use their gardens or have doors and windows open since GCL began to make concrete building parts.

Geoff Hammond, of Bellerby Rise, told the committee there is “non-stop noise of lorries beeping, banging with hammers, and cutting and grinding with power tools”.

The applicant said: “We rely on many local firms to supply us with products and services.

“Apart from providing employment, we are also very firmly established as part of the local economy.

“This permission will allow us to continue our operations without disruption and will give potential for further jobs in the area.”

Farley councillor Dave Taylor, who chairs the committee, asked where the dust comes from if ready mixed concrete was delivered to the site.

Round Green councillor Mark Rivers said the complaints seem to centre on angle grinding or the cutting of concrete.

Limbury councillor Rob Roche said: “I would just like to see more of the applicant working with the residents to find out what the problems are.

“If there is dust then the company needs to do something about it.”

Luton South councillor David Agbley said: “We all need good neighbours. I don’t think this applicant has been a good neighbour.

“I don’t feel comfortable about approving this.”

Council planning solicitor Steven Sparshott described it as “a lawful employment site, so it’s going to have some kind of industrial processes and noise.”

Liberal Democrat Barnfield councillor David Franks called for the proposals to be deferred “until we find out where the dust is coming from and what the council intends to do about it”.

Councillors agreed to defer the application.