Status unknown
Extremely loud banging iron metal gate (at least 75db-95db) more than 100 times and humming machinery all night from 6.00pm to 4.15am then from 4.15am non-stop banging, beeping, grinding, hammering, humming machinery, smells, dust every second from 250 Toddington Road Luton LU4 9DZ
Reported via desktop anonymously at 16:01, Thu 12 December 2024
Sent to Luton Borough Council less than a minute later. FixMyStreet ref: 6855203.
24 HOURS A DAY (KEEPING US AWAKE ALL NIGHT) STATUTORY NUISANCES INCLUDING BANGING GATES ALL NIGHT, NOISE NUISANCES, VIBRATIONS, DUST/SMELL POLLUTION FROM 250 TODDINGTON ROAD, LUTON, LU4 9DZ
I live in a street in the residential housing estate on the opposite side of the road to these premises and since the 24th November 2024 I have been kept awake all night every night by extremely loud banging of the iron metal gate (at least 75db-95db, 7000-8000Hz, the permitted noise levels at night are 30db - there should be no noise at night as the permitted hours are 7.30am to 6.00pm, Saturday 8.00am to 1.00pm) at the rubbish dump at 250 Toddington Road Luton LU4 9DZ which goes on from 6.00pm/7.00pm to 4.15am (then from 4.15am they are working non-stop and the concrete/metal company next door non-stop from 5.00am both with their normal all day noise nuisances as below), they bang the gate once then about 30-60 seconds later they bang it again, then about 5 to 20 minutes later they bang it again and 30-60 seconds later bang it at second time (this noise is either the metal gate itself banging or the huge iron drop lock on the gate being opened/closed), this goes on all night at random times, there is also a humming noise of machinery running normally all night (which also makes the floor vibrate). This is keeping us awake at night and can be clearly heard with the window closed. I have tried sleeping with ear defenders on (extremely uncomfortable), tried wearing ear plugs, tried listening to white noise with ear phones on, tried sleeping with a pillow over my ears and even tried sleeping with my hands pressing against my ears but can still clearly it as it is so loud. I have also tried sleeping with an air purifier on full power all night that makes a brown noise to try to muffle the noise slightly (which is making me ill as it lets out a constant stream of cold air blowing onto my head all night which is causing me to have a sore throat and nose bleeds and headaches), whilst this did initially muffle the noise very slightly unfortunately the noise increased last week and also increased again last night, so this is now longer working. Nothing blocks out this noise nuisance as it is so loud and so high pitched.
Last night I was kept awake by this banging gate until 3.20am when I finally managed to doze off but was then woken up from unpermitted working hours of 4.15am by the normal noise nuisances all day long from this rubbish dump then from 5.00am by the normal noise nuisances all day long from the concrete/metal company next door.
RUBBISH DUMP – Apart from the gate banging all night from unpermitted hours of 4.15am onwards (the permitted hours for the back yard are 7.30am to 6.00pm, Saturday 8.00am to 1.00pm, no working Sunday and for the front yard that they do not have planning permission to use 8.00am to 5.00pm, no working Saturdays or Sundays) all we can hear from the rubbish dump is at least 62db-100db non-stop noise nuisances including non-stop beeping/banging/crashing/humming/screeching of more than 30-50 different skip lorrys of multiple sizes (dropping rubbish/scrap metal and loading/unloading skips) moving more than 150/200 times per day sizes in the front yard and back yard (they only have permission for 4 skip lorrys of 8 tonne size using white noise reversing alarms bringing in rubbish and 1 loader lorry all using a white noise reversing alarm removing rubbish, moving no more than 44 times per day, i.e. there are 4-5 times more lorry movements then they are allowed) and beeping/banging/crashing/screeching of multiple general public lorrys/cars/vans unloading rubbish/scrap metal (they are not allowed any vehicles from members of the public - there is already a rubbish dump for members of the public further back in Progress Way) from 4.15am/5.00am, beeping/banging/thudding/humming of multiple diggers and bucket heads of diggers banging on the floor and then being dragged across the floor (also causing severe floor vibrations) of all different sizes (they only had two small diggers using white noise reversing alarms when they were given planning permission) most days every second from 5.00am/6.00am, since April there has been another new digger making a noise like a Jackhammer throughout the day from 5.00am/6.00am, banging/thudding of metal skips being moved and screeching of them being dragged across the floor in the front yard from 4.15am/5.00am, banging/crashing of rubbish/metal usually from 4.15am (from 5.00am/6.00am this is usually every second), crusher machinery making humming noises from 5.00am/6.00am, disgusting horrible smells of rubbish (like rotten food) when skips are emptied/moved and when crushing the rubbish, floor vibrations and dust pollution. I refer to the refusal of planning application 10/00665/VARCON where they asked to change their working hours to Monday to Friday 6.00am to 6.00pm and Saturdays 8.00am to 6.00pm which the council refused due to it being a noise nuisance to the residents. I also refer to the noise report made by these premises in 2015 that proved that the noise heard from the residents side of the road from one skip lorry at that time was 67db to 85db when the permitted noise level is 30db (15db less than the normal background noise of 45db), this noise has more than doubled as they now how many more new bigger noisier skip lorrys.
WORKING OVER CHRISTMAS - This rubbish dump, since 2022, have also worked and been a severe noise/dust/vibration/smell nuisance including the above unpermitted hours all day over the entire Christmas holiday period (for all years before this they were closed between at least the 23rd December to at least 2nd January). Also since January 2022, they have worked over Easter and on other Bank Holidays and make noise with the gates banging and banging metal throughout Sundays so we have not had one single day of quiet from this company for the past 3 years.
The council have been made aware by residents multiple times over the last 3 years that the rubbish dump are publicly advertising on their Facebook and Google business details that they are open from 6.30am including Saturdays for the public to take rubbish into their yard (they are not allowed to accept rubbish from public vehicles only from their 4 8tonne skip lorrys) in clear breach of the permitted hours of 8.00am, so surely an enforcement notice should have been issued by now to stop the unpermitted hours, there is no excuse for this to not be stopped as it is right there in black and white.
CONCRETE/METAL COMPANY - From unpermitted hours of 5.00am to most nights 8.00pm/9.00pm and Saturdays always past 2.00pm/3.00pm (the permitted hours are 8.00am to 6.00pm, Saturday 8.00am to 1.00pm, no working Sunday) all we can hear from the concrete/metal company (no metal works are allowed) is at least 62db-100db non-stop noise nuisances (previously confirmed by the council as persistent statutory noise nuisances including in two planning applications which were both refused due to the noise nuisances that the council confirmed they had heard from residential properties) including non-stop beeping/banging/crashing forklifts most days every minute from 6.00am/7.00am (this beeping was previously confirmed by the council as a persistent statutory noise nuisance), banging/crashing telehandlers from 6.00am/7.00am, banging/clanking/clattering metal from 5.00am/6.00am (no metal works allowed), beeping/banging/clanking/chugging engines running of lorrys including loading up on the back with the engine left running from 5.00am/6.00am to most nights past 7.00pm/9.00pm, multiple lots of hammering and grinding/cutting metal and concrete usually almost all day from 5.00am/6.00am (no hammering or grinding or power tools allowed and no metal works allowed - this is done outside, in a building with the doors open all day and in another building with the door open all day during the spring/summer - the hammering and cutting of concrete was previously confirmed by the council as a persistent statutory noise nuisance but since then they have also been hammering/grinding metal which is even louder despite no metal works being allowed), 90db-100db Stihl cutters grinding and cutting metal and concrete always outside from 6.00am/7.00am at various times just recently some days almost all day, multiple generators especially on Saturdays, other machinery/power tools, shouting, cars going in and out from 5.00am to most nights past 8.00pm/9.00pm and other noise nuisances. I refer to the noise readings taken by the council from the main receptor of noises home in 2014 when the council confirmed that the beeping, banging and grinding are persistent invasive statutory noise nuisances and to the refusal of planning applications 16/02050/FUL and 17/01522/FUL both refused due to the noise nuisances from the premises when Environmental Protection stated they cannot recommend approval of the application due to the ongoing noise related problems, that there had been no reduction in noise levels and that they had on many occasions "witnessed noise caused by the audible reversing warning devices on the mobile handling equipment from inside the boundary of one of the nearby residential properties". I also refer to a planning meeting for 19/01168/FUL when the planning committee councillors stated that; the noise coming from these premises is totally unacceptable in a residential area and is making residents lives a living hell, that a BS4142 noise investigation must be done from the main receptor of noises home (which is a legal requirement) before the application is even considered, that there would be no hammering or grinding/cutting of concrete/metal and no metal works at all as they are a serious noise nuisance and that the hours this company asked for of 6.00am to 7.00pm Saturdays 6.00am to 3.00pm are unacceptable due to the noise nuisances including from lorrys and it would only be considered if they accepted the hours of Monday to Friday 8.00am to 6.00pm Saturdays 8.00am to 1.00pm which the council agreed, the application was put on hold for a BS4142 and dust assessment to be done, however the residents found out from the local newspaper that a 2nd planning meeting had taken place without the residents knowledge and the application had been approved without any BS4142 noise readings or dust investigations being done and knowing that they were still working unpermitted hours and that the noise and dust had increased and that they are hammering and grinding/cutting concrete and metal all day.
I sent a complaint directly to the council about this banging all night two weeks ago and I know other people have also complained (no responses have been received) so don't understand why nothing is being done about it when it is ruining people sleep and is in clear breach of the permitted working hours and the permitted noise levels and the Human Rights Act law "right to a peaceful use of our home and premises". The council already have hundreds of photos and videos proving the unpermitted hours, the 62db to 100db noise levels/nuisances (that the council have already previously stated are persistent invasive statutory noise nuisances and recorded noise levels proving it) and unpermitted uses of the premises and as stated above have been aware for almost 3 years that they are publicly advertising their unpermitted hours.
Not only can I not use my bedroom in the daytime or watch my television in the daytime in my bedroom due to the council confirmed noise nuisances, but I now can't even use my own bedroom or watch my television at night time because of the noise.
Will you please get this banging gate all night long stopped as I am fed up with getting no sleep and feeling ill all the time and fed up with not being able to have our windows open during the spring/summer and not being able to use our garden due to the noise, dust, smells, etc., in the daytime.
Updates
-
I have not received any reply from the council and not only has absolutely nothing has been done to stop any of this, it is in fact now even worse. The banging gates through the night is now even louder and on some nights there is multiple machinery running all night and I am still getting no sleep. The concrete/metal company are now making additional noise nuisances, floor vibrations, concrete dust pollution and burning smells using new additional jackhammer excavators to break up concrete and Stihl cutters cutting concrete outside in the middle of their yard.
Posted anonymously at 10:34, Fri 10 January 2025
Still open, via questionnaire -
I have still not received a reply from the council & the issues have now increased. The banging metal gates all night keeping us awake is now even louder, the concrete company are now back to having an unpermitted council confirmed statutory nuisance permanent crane which is a serious noise nuisance and is making the floor shake and is being used for unpermitted uses, since this was installed the unpermitted noise nuisance manufacturing outside using numerous grinders, other power tools and hammering causing concrete dust pollution has increased by 100%, there are yet more new high pitched beeping noises of yet more new unpermitted machinery and all other noise nuisances are exactly the same all from the unpermitted hours of 4.30am, so we are still being disturbed 24 hours a day by these nuisances all from clear breaches of planning.
Posted anonymously at 15:17, Fri 7 February 2025
Still open, via questionnaire -
I have still not received a single reply to any complaints made on Fix My Street or made directly to the councils planning department or noise department with video/audio and photo evidence. The banging of metal gates throughout the night and throughout Sundays is getting louder and I am still getting no more than 30 minutes to 1 hour (2 x 30 minute sleeps) sleep that has made me ill. The other constant numerous different noise nuisances (see complaint) from the unpermitted time of in the night 3.30am/4.30am to past 7.00pm/9.00pm including Saturdays and Sundays (the permitted time is 8.00am to 6.00pm, Saturdays 8.00am to 1.00pm, no working Sundays) is still keeping us awake and disturbing us in the evenings and at weekends. They have now had a unpermitted permanent crane on the premises since 21.01.25 (49 days) when they are only allowed to have a temporary crane for 14 days and no more than 28 days per calendar year and during this time have also had 2 cranes at the same time, the council have previously confirmed that cranes are a statutory nuisance to the residents as they are in invasion of residents privacy, they are a serious noise nuisance including a constant high pitched alarm, banging/clanking, humming and a rumbling noise making the floor vibrate, there is a light on top of it shining into our window all night and they are a visual intrusion. The numerous different extremely high pitch grinding of metal (like nails being repeatedly scraped down a chalkboard) and concrete with numerous different power tools and numerous different lots of banging metal and concrete with hammers (65db to 100db) has got worse as had the dust pollution from it, they are not supposed to be doing any of these type of works only pouring cement into moulds. They are doing this unpermitted manufacturing outside in the front yard as well as right at the unpermitted opening of the metal building all day long right in front of residential houses/gardens. There is now constant high pitched beeping alarms all day long on Sundays as well as all day Saturdays and Mondays to Fridays, so now we can't even go out into our garden or have our windows open on Sundays. It is like living on a permanent building site 24 hours a day 7 days a week and it is making my family very ill and very depressed.
Posted anonymously at 09:33, Mon 10 March 2025
Still open, via questionnaire -
I have still not received a single response from the council either on here or directly to the council and neither has any other resident. I am still getting no sleep at night due to the banging of metal gates all night every night since November 2024. The unpermitted permanent planning inspectorate/council confirmed statutory nuisance crane that they have now had illegally for 80 days (only 14 continuous days allowed, only 28 days allowed each year) is still there being a noise nuisance (constant beeping alarm almost every minute, banging and clanking and screeching when moving) and visual nuisance still moving the exact same things as the council confirmed statutory noise nuisance forklifts/telehandlers which they are also still using so now there are three constant beeping/alarms from their mobile vehicles at the same time all day. The unpermitted manufacturing from numerous different extremely high pitch grinding of metal (like nails being repeatedly scraped down a chalkboard) and concrete with numerous different power tools and numerous different lots of banging metal and concrete with hammers (65db to 100db) has increased again and gotten even worse as had the dust pollution from it (they are not supposed to be doing any of these type of works only pouring cement into moulds) as they have now built with no planning permission another unpermitted permanent plastic cement drying manufacturing tent in the front yard facing right onto houses and outside this they are doing this grinding/cutting/hammering of metal/concrete as well in the two permitted buildings with the doors open and also at the unpermitted opening (where they cut out a huge door/opening with no planning permission, this is fully closed all through the cold weather but as soon as it gets warmer they have the door open all day facing right onto houses) of the metal building with newer louder power tools all day). The noise from the rubbish dump has also increased and they also have yet more mobile vehicles beeping/banging all day. There is still constant high pitched beeping alarms all day long on Sundays as well as all day Saturdays and Mondays to Fridays (I have heard at least 20 different lots of beeping/alarms in the last 30 minutes of which there has been 4-8 beeping/alarms at the same time), so now still can't even go out into our garden or have our windows open on Sundays. It is like living on a permanent building site 24 hours a day 7 days a week and it is making my family very ill and very depressed.
Posted anonymously at 10:25, Thu 10 April 2025
Still open, via questionnaire -
I have still not received a single response from the council either on here or directly to the council and neither have any other residents. The severe noise nuisances and dust pollution and invasions of privacy from yet more unpermitted works has increased as they are now also manufacturing huge tall metal steel structures outside in the front yard opposite our houses without planning permission (no metal works are allowed and no manufacturing outside is allowed) banging the metal structures with hammers all day and men on top of the structures looking into our houses as well as other numerous lots banging metal and concrete with hammers outside as well as numerous lots of grinding/cutting metal and concrete outside. I am still getting no sleep at night due to the banging of metal gates at unpermitted hours all night every night since November 2024. The unpermitted permanent planning inspectorate/council confirmed statutory nuisance crane that they have now had illegally for 109 days (only 14 continuous days allowed, only 28 days allowed each year) is still there being a severe noise nuisance (constant beeping alarm almost every minute, banging and clanking and screeching when moving) and visual nuisance (man sitting in the elevated cab looking into our houses) still moving the exact same things as the council confirmed statutory noise nuisance forklifts/telehandlers which they are also still using so now there are three constant beeping/alarms from their mobile vehicles at the same time all day all outside (the beeping/alarm from the new telehandler that they purchased in January 2025 is 100% louder and more annoying than the one that they was using when they were given planning permission). They are still doing unpermitted metal and fettling concrete manufacturing outside including numerous different extremely high pitch grinding of metal (like nails being repeatedly scraped down a chalkboard) and concrete with numerous different power tools and numerous different lots of banging metal and concrete with hammers (65db to 100db) creating dust pollution from it (they are not supposed to be doing any of these type of works only pouring cement into moulds) including outside the illegal permanent plastic cement drying manufacturing tent in the front yard facing right onto houses (they built this without planning permission in January 2025 when the planning application clearly states there will be no additional building or change of the layout of the premises) and at the unpermitted opening of the metal building (where they cut out a huge door/opening with no planning permission, this door is fully closed all through the cold weather but as soon as it gets warmer they have the door open all day facing right onto houses) and at the opening of the building at the back of the yard and also outside in other places at the front of the yard and also, as already stated above now also manufacturing without planning permission huge tall metal steel structures outside at the front of the yard. The noise from the rubbish dump has also increased and they also have yet more mobile vehicles beeping/banging all day, the diggers are constantly beeping then banging the metal bucket heads on the floor then scraping the metal bucket heads across the floor (65db-100db) making the house shake over and over again most days all day long. All of this is still going on from 4.30am/5.00am to most days past 7.00pm/9.00pm. There is still constant high pitched beeping alarms all day long on Sundays as well as all day Saturdays and Mondays to Fridays (I have heard at least 30 different lots of beeping/alarms in the last 30 minutes of which there has been 4-8 beeping/alarms at the same time), so now still can't even go out into our garden or have our windows open on Sundays. It is like living on a permanent building site 24 hours a day 7 days a week and it is making my family very ill and very depressed and it is extremely infuriating that the council won't answer any complaints and are continuing to allow these companies to breach every part of their planning applications making residents lives a living hell (as stated by a councillor at the planning meeting).
Posted anonymously at 10:32, Fri 9 May 2025
Still open, via questionnaire -
I have still not received a single response from the council either on here or directly to the council and neither have any other residents. The severe noise nuisances and dust pollution and invasions of privacy from yet more unpermitted works has again increased and of yesterday afternoon (the day after my last complaint) the unpermitted banging of metal and concrete with hammers has now got even louder persistently over 70db/80db recorded on several occasions over 100db (no metal works, no concrete fettling and no hammering or cutting/grinding is allowed) from unpermitted manufacturing of tall metal structures outside in the front yard with no planning permission and unpermitted manufacturing metal fences at the unpermitted opening of the metal building facing directly onto houses and the unpermitted fettling concrete outside in the front yard with no planning permission. The unpermitted banging of metal gates all through the night has also got even louder in the last few days, still keeping us awake all night (we are constantly tired and feeling ill). The unpermitted grinding and cutting and sanding, etc., with numerous power tools outside is still going on. The noise/smell/vibration/visual council confirmed statutory nuisance unpermitted crane is still there (so far 143 days) in clear breach of planning refusals/conditions beeping/humming/clanking all day as well as the forklifts and telehandlers beeping alarms and clanking all day. All other noise nuisances and planning breaches are exactly the same.
The disgusting vomit-inducing smells of rotten rubbish from the unpermitted number of skip lorrys/skips, the unpermitted number of skips left in the front unpermitted yard uncovered full of rubbish in direct sunlight for days on end, the huge tall piles of rubbish that can been seen above a 10ft panel left uncovered in direct sunlight for days on end and the unpermitted crushing of rubbish outside as well as the disgusting vomit-inducing smells of cement/concrete (that has a smell like gas/rotten eggs) and disgusting smells of dust pollution (including rubbish, metal and concrete that we can also taste through a mask) and disgusting smells of petrol/diesel is getting worse and worse. We can even smell the rotten rubbish on Sundays from the unpermitted works.
The unpermitted public rubbish dump is still working 24 hours a day 7 days a week and the unpermitted concrete/metal company are working Monday-Friday from 5.00am to past 7.00pm/9.00pm and every Saturday past 2.00pm/5.00pm both in clear breach of their planning conditions which state they are only allowed to work Monday-Friday 8.00am to 6.00pm, Saturdays 8.00am to 1.00pm and no working on Sundays.
It is truly disgusting that this unpermitted crane has still not been removed after 143 days of clear breaches of planning refusals when the council's planning department and environment department and the planning inspectorate and councillors on the planning committee all agreed that the crane is a statutory nuisance to the residents and that the crane, forklifts and telehandlers are statutory noise nuisances stated very clear in 4 planning applications/refusals.
We can't get any sleep, we can't sit out in our garden or have our windows open on Sundays, Saturdays, Bank Holidays, in the evenings after 6.00pm or in the daytime (as we are legally entitled to so as per the Human Rights Act law, i.e. right to a peaceful use of our house and garden) as it is 24 hours a day 7 days a week. It is like living on 2 permanent building and demolition sites 24 hours a day 7 days a week and it is making my family very ill and very depressed and it is extremely infuriating that the council won't answer any complaints and are continuing to allow these companies to breach every part of their planning applications making residents lives a living hell (as stated by a councillor at the planning meeting).
Posted anonymously at 11:06, Thu 12 June 2025
Still open, via questionnaire -
I have still not received any response and not one single planning breach has been stopped and we are still being kept awake all night and being disturbed all evening and all day 24 hours a day 7 days a week and it has infact got worse since my last complaint.
Posted anonymously at 10:53, Thu 7 August 2025
Still open, via questionnaire -
I have still not received any response and not one single planning breach has been stopped and we are still being kept awake all night and being disturbed all evening and all day 24 hours a day 7 days a week and it has infact got worse since my last complaint.
Posted anonymously at 10:36, Fri 5 September 2025
Still open, via questionnaire -
I have still not even received the decency of a reply from the council and the noise, dust, unpermitted hours, etc., from unpermitted works being done outside has got even worse.
Posted anonymously at 10:47, Mon 13 October 2025
Still open, via questionnaire
Provide an update
Please note that updates are not sent to the council. Your information will only be used in accordance with our privacy policy