Contractors working on Hinckley’s Big Pit site have been served a Community Protection Notice, requiring them to clear mud from the road surrounding the Ashby Road site or face criminal sanctions.
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.
Once work got underway it generated a significant amount of mud on the road and pavements outside the site. As a result, the Council’s planning enforcement team issued a community protection warning letter to Ambion Contractors in January 2024 warning them that they must ensure wheel-washing facilities on site are operated effectively to keep the area clear of mud.
The contractor was also warned to ensure road sweepers are used regularly and particularly when earth is being moved around the site and instructed to create a hard surfaced area for contractors’ vehicles and site visitors to further limit transfer of mud to the road.
A second warning notice was issued last month after further complaints about the site were received from local residents but the road and pavements around the site “continue to be left in an unacceptable state,” so the Council has now issued a Community Protection Notice to the contractor.
Head of Planning at Hinckley & Bosworth Borough Council, Chris Brown said: “Ashby Road remains in an unacceptable state around the site with mud over the road making it dangerous for drivers and pedestrians. This cannot continue.
“The council has now issued two warnings to the contractor which regrettably have not resulted in the improvements we would expect to see, so we have been left with no other option than to serve a Community Protection Notice.
“Non-compliance with any Community Protection Notice (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.
“A CPN can be appealed through the magistrate’s court, with sanctions held in abeyance until the outcome of the appeal.
“Leicestershire County Council, as the Highway Authority, have also been made aware of concerns.”
