The developers of Hinckley’s Big Pit have been served a community protection warning letter to require that all mud is cleared from the road surrounding the Ashby Road building site.
After an appeal, the Secretary of State gave permission for 60 homes to be built on the site in January 2019. Hinckley & Bosworth Borough Council had previously refused planning permission over concerns about access to the site and fears the area would be prone to flooding.
With work now underway, there has been a significant amount of mud on the road outside the site. As a result, the council’s planning enforcement team has issued a community protection warning letter to the developer requiring them to ensure that the wheel-washing facilities they have in place are operated effectively in order to keep the area clear of mud.
The warning also requires the developer to ensure road sweepers are used regularly and particularly when earth is being moved around the site and it instructs the developer to create a hard surfaced area for contractors’ vehicles and site visitors to further limit transfer of mud to the road.
Executive Member for Community Safety and local ward councillor, Michael Mullaney said: “Ashby Road is in an unacceptable state around the site with mud over the road making it dangerous for drivers and pedestrians. This cannot continue.
“While the contractors have wheel washing in place, it has not been effective at preventing this mess and it’s clear that further work needs to be done to minimise the significant harm being experienced by residents who are entitled to the reasonable enjoyment of their home, despite them being close to a construction site.
“The council calls on the contractor to co-operate with the council to manage the impact of its construction site on the local community and mobilise its resources to keep the local roads clear of mud and debris that is coming from the site.”
Should the situation not improve then the council can serve a Community Protection Notice (CPN). Non-compliance with a CPN carries criminal sanctions and can lead to a criminal record. Any company that fails to comply with a CPN can face seizure and forfeiture of items, default works and recovery of costs and/or a fine of up to £2,500 in relation to an individual or up to £20,000 in the case of a body.
Leicestershire County Council, as the Highway Authority, have also been made aware of concerns.
