I have demanded that action is taken on a company running unauthorised HGVs including through the night disrupting residents of Fleet Lane, causing loss of sleep and noise nuisance. The issue had flared up again following recent complaints to me from residents and the lorries stopped for a short while after a visit from a planning officer.
But Ashcourt lorries were soon back up to their tricks, running lorries down Fleet Lane at all hours and carrying out an unidentified operation through the night which is disturbing residents in the early hours with HGVs thundering down Fleet Lane. As there is no planning application and therefore no planning conditions I’m told that it is more complicated to resolve.
I am vehemently persisting in chasing action on this. Ashcourt’s head office has now been contacted. The planning agent has been spoken to also and advised that working throughout the night is not acceptable and must cease.
I’ve also contacted the environment agency passing on the concerns of many residents who have contacted me on Fleet Lane and surrounding streets.
There is no planning permission on the site other than for the original use as a fuel storage depot. Although Ashcourt submitted a planning application they have been previously instructed to cease operations on the engineering works that were being carried out until the planning application was determined one way or the other. But it has obviously have started up illicit operations again.
The application, which states it is for the ‘creation of a development platform using imported construction and demolition waste, storage of imported inert waste plus engineering operations associated with remediation of the site’ is on hold as planning officers are waiting for further requested details.
I’ve instructed officers to keep pursuing this as it is not acceptable for residents to be disrupted in this way and a solution has to be found so that residents can have the peace and quiet they deserve especially through the night.
