A lorry depot has been given permission to start operating from 5am after a ban on reversing warnings. Biffa Waste Services now has planning permission from Bristol City Council to operate the depot in Shirehampton two hours earlier every morning.
But after neighbours complained about the potential for noisy lorries to wake them up early in the morning, Biffa agreed a condition on the permission that no warning messages would be played before 7am. However other concerns also included floodlights and noisy doors closing.
Councillors on the development control A committee voted to grant permission. They welcomed the ban on reversing warnings before 7am, as an example of how the planning process should work, with applicants making changes after objections from the public.
James Stewart-Irvine, representing Biffa, said: “The workshop is in a completely sustainable location to support the extension of operating hours. All amenity considerations can be managed with appropriate conditions. We would be very grateful for planning permission to be granted.”
The Highway House depot is in between the Portway and Shirehampton train station, and previously had permission to operate from 7am to 7pm during the week, and from 7am to 1pm on Saturdays. The operating hours will be extended from 5am to 10pm, to improve efficiency.
Initially, many locals living nearby wrote to the council complaining about noisy lorries at the depot. Since the changes were made, the planning department received no objections from members of the public, although the council didn’t consult local residents again after the changes.
Green councillor Ellie Freeman said: “This is a really good example of how things can be changed if you do receive objections. Sometimes people think that they’re just putting them in and it doesn’t have any impact. But actually the fact you’ve taken those on board, and they’ve gone on and made some changes, and we haven’t had any further objections, is really positive.”