St Albans haulage company appeals against noise ruling

THE PLANNING Inspectorate is to hold a public hearing in Redbourn early next year to consider an appeal by a St Albans haulage company against an enforcement notice it was served following noise complaints.

Kane Haulage attracted widespread public criticism after the firm allegedly disrupted villagers with noise from crushing concrete at Old Station Yard, Redbourn, and a petition was organised by village residents.

Herts County Council served an enforcement notice on both the haulier and land owners, London and Cambridge Property Services, to stop the activity at the site and remove all associated waste. In a statement in June this year the council alleged that Kane had been carrying out unauthorised concrete crushing.

The crushing machinery was removed from the site on June 16, the same day the notice was served.

A council spokesman said that the Planning Inspectorate will hear Kane’s appeal against that notice at the parish centre in Redbourn from January 31 until February 2, 2012.

However, residents in Redbourn have complained about further noise from the site to St Albans district council (SADC), which has since served a noise abatement notice on Kane Haulage on November 17.

The council’s head of legal services Mike Lovelady said SADC had received complaints about noise on Friday, November 11.

He added: “Officers from the council’s regulatory services section visited the site and a noise nuisance investigation was conducted and noise measurements were taken.”

Redbourn Cllr Maxine Crawley said while she was disappointed to hear there had been further complaints about noise from the Kane Haulage site, she was glad the disturbance had been investigated.

Cllr Crawley added: “This is not against the company itself, it’s to allow Redbourn to have the peace that it deserves, and not have thumping noise.”

Nobody from Kane Haulage was prepared to comment on the appeal.