Mum’s anger at 24/7 parcel distribution centre at bottom of her garden
A COVENTRY mum says she fears she won’t be able to use her garden after the council approved a 24/7 parcel distribution centre at the bottom of her garden.
The city council approved plans earlier this year for a warehouse with 25 loading bays at Central City Industrial Estate on Red Lane.
But Cathrine Tickner said the giant 186,692 ft sq unit will be a “nightmare” as it has been passed without restrictions on its operating hours.
Mrs Tickner, 61, whose house on Smith Street overlooks it, said it should have had restrictions of 8am to 6pm like neighbouring builders yards.
She said: “It is going to be a nightmare if you have got 25 loading bays operating 24/7.
“It will have an impact not just at nighttime - you are not going to be able to use the garden.
“I want to be able to sit in the garden, I do not want to have to sit in the house with all the doors and windows shut worrying about what I am breathing in.
“It is completely inappropriate use.”
The council said the warehouse must operate within the agreed HVG movements.
A noise assessment predicted a ‘worst-case scenario’ of 16 movements per hour.
Conditions also state a corrugated barrier must also remain, but Mrs Tickner said this will struggle to screen vehicle noise.
Officers also stated noise will be low in comparison to historic use at the site and comparable to that of recent usage.
The site was historically a munitions factory during the war, but Mrs Tickner said it has been vacant in recent years.
She said: “Just to say the noise is within limits or not worse than before when before was 50 years prior, it’s not good enough.
“A lot has changed since when it was a munitions place.”
Officers also said the parcel distribution centre is “unlikely to have any adverse impact” on traffic.
But Mrs Tickner, citing a “busy” roundabout outside the access, added: “That is a load of rubbish. How can it be when they will open 24/7?”
A council email to Mrs Tickner shows six objections were received against the application - above the threshold of five which permits it to be scrutinised in public - but the application was delegated approval by an officer in February.
The council now states it only received four objections to the final application and four to a previous one, meaning it did not meet the public debate threshold.
Mrs Tickner said: “I was only told after it was passed that I would not be able to speak on it. It was so quick. It should have gone to a public committee. We tried to appeal through planning and was told emphatically no. The Ombudsman said the only option is to take it through the courts but we cannot afford that.
“I feel let down by the process. We cannot pack up and go. This is our home. It cannot always be about people’s profit, it needs to be about the people too.”
Mrs Tickner has asked if the council can monitor noise and pollution for six months to ensure it does not impact neighbours, but the authority did not respond to the question when asked by the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS). Warehouse owners Canmoor have also not responded to the LDRS.
Mrs Tickner added: “We have been going back and forth since February and got nowhere. We have lost all faith with it. We do not feel listened to at all.”
A council spokesman said: “As part of determining the applications the council also consulted with expert officers on matters of noise, air quality and highway impact.
“Based on the information provided by the applicant no objections were received, with any impacts being considered minimal or possible of being overcome by appropriate measures.”