Company 'does not have permission for noisy machinery' (From Gazette Series)

Scrap metal firm in Sharpness 'does not have permission for noisy machinery'

8:20am Thursday 9th February 2012 in Gloucestershire news By Liza-Jane Gillespie

A COMPANY accused by its neighbours in Sharpness of excessive noise does not have planning permission for the machinery blamed for causing the din, it has been claimed.

People living near the European Metal Recycling (EMR) facility at Sharpness Docks have hit out at the firm for generating 'unacceptable' noise levels.

But their anger has increased after they discovered that an application to build a steel plate security fence, as well as a new building for a shear and baler, has yet to be approved.

The scrap metal recycling firm submitted the application to Gloucestershire County Council in February.

It is still pending consideration but the machinery was installed on the site last June. Since June the Environment Agency has had almost 100 complaints from local residents about the volume of noise coming from the EMR plant.

Now members of a community working group, which was set up to liaise with EMR over the noise problems, allege the company has admitted the baler and shear are causing the most noise and do not have planning permission.

At a liaison meeting held in Sharpness at the end of January, EMR shared the findings of its own noise survey, which included volumes generated from the new machinery.

Lance Wake, resident and member of the working group that attended the meeting, said: "They’ve had their own independent noise management consult and the noise is coming from the two machines, the bale and the shearing machine, but then we find out they don’t have planning permission for these machines.

"The fact the residents are suffering in the meantime doesn’t seem very fair."

Mark Hunt, who lives in Hinton and is also a member of the working group, said the community was suffering.

He said: "The noise is having a detrimental impact on people. We’re not making unreasonable requests.

"We value the jobs EMR bring to the community but not at any cost."

A spokesman for the Environment Agency confirmed EMR was causing noise pollution in Sharpness and that the company had been told to produce a noise management plan by February 10.

The spokesman said: "We have required EMR to produce a noise management plan in which they should detail the measures that they will take to reduce the noise."

They added: "Once we have received the plan we will scrutinise it closely, using our own noise experts."

Gloucestershire County Council confirmed the planning application for the machinery was still pending but was unable to comment further.

A spokesman for EMR declined to comment on the matter.