Luton residents feel 'insulted' by council's remarks as dust row thickens over construction site

These extra notes were in relation to the retrospective revised planning permission granted to Ground Construction Limited (GCL) in Toddington Road on May 6, previously reported here.

The company was successful in seeking approval from the council’s development control committee to make concrete building parts on the site, after two failed attempts.

The minutes of the meeting on May 6 confirmed that neighbours had been notified of the application, while a site notice and a press notice were issued, and that 36 letters were received objecting to the proposal.

But a group of residents, who had turned up on two previous occasions to voice their concerns, claim the local authority “failed to notify them of the meeting”, which was held using Skype technology.

One of them Stephen Cusack said: “Hence some councillors were making baseless comments with no fear of being contradicted by the facts”.

GCL moved into the site near a housing estate in 2014 and started to manufacture concrete, creating all the noise and dust that goes along with the industrial-scale process, according to Mr Cusack.

A crane, which the council approved for 12 months, served only “to ramp up the company’s illegal concrete manufacturing process”, he explained.

The crane was not dismantled until the end of 2018, following a visit to the site by planning officers to consider its impact.

A new 25m high crane went up, for which the council said planning permission was unnecessary, before it also came down after more complaints.

“Now the council has granted permission for concrete manufacturing for the construction industry,” said Mr Cusack.

“It not only excluded us from the meeting, but accepted a noise report which doesn’t meet British Standards and argued there’s a lack of conclusive evidence that GCL is the source of the dust.

“These people know the manufacture of concrete parts requires cutting and grinding, and lifting and dropping huge concrete blocks.

“The council was told about HSE guidance stating concrete dust damages the lungs.

“The local authority favours GCL at the risk of a serious public health issue.”

Geoff Hammond, of Bellerby Rise, said: “The residents feel insulted by the council’s remarks.

“For it to say it doesn’t know where the dust is coming from is untrue.

“This site has never before had planning permission for heavy industrial work, particularly this new change of use.

“The council has let the company do whatever it wants with complete impunity for the last four years, slowly contaminating the whole neighbourhood and putting residents’ lives at risk.

“We’re having to breathe in this poisonous air and have our lungs damaged by cement dust, which can cause strokes, heart attacks, dementia, cancer and eventually death.”

The addition to the meeting minutes read: “Members were updated by officers with information concerning the source of dust issues neighbours had raised on February 26.

“This resulted in the item being deferred pending this further information.

“Officers from public protection advised the committee they didn’t think the problem emanated from the application site.

“Members had a detailed debate. It was then resolved to grant planning permission with several conditions.”

GCL has said previously: “We rely on many local firms to supply us with products and services.

“Apart from providing employment, we’re 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.”