Email to “The Environmental Health Service”
Thank you for taking my call the other day, and agreeing to investigate my issues with regard to the noise issues with the UK Docks/John Wilson site on River Drive.
My neighbour, Melanie Todd, had directed you to details of noise legislation and actions, which you disputed. I’ve attached the details of the information I’ve also sourced, and wish to put it to you that:
1) The council should acknowledged there is a definite conflict with the boundaries of a residential and industrial site, and although the council does not appear to fully recognise its responsibility to address this issue, it has to under the legislation;
2) The fact that the site adjacent to the residential area is an industrial site should not have precedence over the residential site – that fact is, the estate housing was there before the planning permission was given for the (now shown to be breached) planning permission for the construction in the boat yard;
3) I have spoken to HSE on 10 March 2014, and provided evidence that an employee in the yard was grinding and deconstructing a fibreglass speedboat only a few feet from our house. The employee was in full protective gear, and my husband took a video of the actions, where there was a large amount of dust being produced – as well as the noise. The employee was in full protective gear – we however, not being an industrial workplace – were not. The HSE accepted the investigation.
I would like you, and the councillors and council you represent, to consider the conflict of sites now taking place. I would suggest that you appear not to be taking this issue as seriously as you should – both in the interest of the residents of Harbour View and Green’s Place, and equally the owners of the yard.
As you are a paid employee of the council, who state that the council strategy/vision is ‘ an outstanding place to live and bring up families’. Our current situation does not reflect the strategy… I’d suggest you liaise with Mr Anglin, and Peter Cunningham and all look at the vision and strategy detailed in the (link) information on the South Tyneside Council website:
http://www.southtyneside.info/article/15711/shaping-our-future-south-tyneside-council-strategy
Thank you for your time
Julie and David Routledge
Email received from Environmental Health on 26th March 2014 to an email originally sent on 18th March 2014 and resent and referenced three more times before an reply was received.
This email has been classified as: NOT PROTECTIVELY MARKED
Mrs Todd (I am in fact Miss)
Thanks for your recent emails. You will appreciate that we have received a large number of communications from residents about this site in the last two weeks.
Your email of 18th March took issue with the planning process and our involvement in it. We did contribute to the consultation back in 1996 and still do contribute to consultations on planning applications. It is far better to identify, if possible, issues during a development’s design rather than await its implementation. However we do have a residual ability to remedy significant issues of nuisance if they later occur, subject to the relevant legal provisions. I have however already explained that I am not in a position to comment on the detailed planning process or any planning enforcement matters
The issue on 18th March related to the siting of a water compressor in the open area of the UK Docks site. As you may be aware another resident raised the matter with us and an officer attended and had the piece of equipment moved to a lower level closer to the work shed. The compressor used is of a standard diesel design but was clearly audible in Greens Place and we have requested the Operator to ensure that quieter items of plant are selected in future. This one was hired in at short notice – but the operators state they have electric compressors at their other facility that are awaiting transfer. I am sorry that this occurred, but it was restricted to daytime mid week working hours. It was not a shot blasting unit.
The issue on Saturday 22 March has been raised with the operator also.
You may be aware that this site is in the course of transfer of at least part of the operation from the former Robsons Boatbuilders site in Commercial Road. Officers have visited both sites today and discussed in detail the Company’s intentions in regard to site operations and the necessity for noise controls. We will continue with those specific discussions as the company progresses the transfer with the intention of ensuring any noisy items of plant are identified and suitably dealt with to minimise noise escape to the local environment. Some measures may require rearrangement of the Tyne Slipway site but we are committed to continuing those discussions and will respond to specific noise complaints as they are made
So far however these have been limited and must still be seen as part of normal site operations. Where we are able, we will ensure action is taken to minimise any impact as much as practically possible.
With regard to your comment about light pollution I will confirm you that your earlier complaint about a floodlight operating in the early evening was not felt to be actionable given the time of use (noted as approx 5 til 6pm), but has in any case been dealt with by the Company now. I have a photograph of the Shed lit up at night, and we have checked the lamp positioning. The lamp faces towards the river and does not shine into your property. Whilst I accept that you do not wish to see the illuminated shed, I am afraid that this is not a matter that would constitute a statutory nuisance.
I am sorry that you have not had an earlier reply.
Regards
The fact is the previous light pollution has never been dealt with and was only resolved when they no longer required that particular lighting rig. It also was left on 24hrs at one point. The fact that the present light pollution is not being caused by a light pointing directly into my home is immaterial and not what I have claimed. Again I feel as though my questions are going unanswered and the public servants whose wages we pay are ignoring our rights as residents and are acting in favour of the developer who lives in Washington and so is not concerned by the light noise and particle pollution his shipyard is causing to the residents of the ‘established residential area’ of Greens Place and Harbour View.
Dear ………..(Principal Environmental Health Officer),
I am resending my email of yesterday as at the sending of it I had not received a reply from yourself. We are faced with the same methodical reverberating hammering of steel. Living in a Grade II Listed Building we are not afforded the luxury of double glazing, though my neighbours with double glazing assure me it has made little difference to the noise nuisance we are experiencing from the UK Docks River Drive site.
Again I am asking you to inform me of what the noise levels concerning such work should be and how you will be monitoring the level of noise.
I look forward to your reply,
Yours sincerely,
Melanie Todd,