Housing developer fined for noisy building work

A leading housing developer has been fined by a Midlands authority due to excessive noise from one of its sites.

Telford & Wrekin Council brought the case against Bovis Homes following a number of complaints about building noise early in the mornings, late in the evenings and at weekends.

Bovis pleaded guilty at Telford Magistrates Court to nine charges of working outside permitted hours on its development in Edgmond Road, Newport.

The company was fined £17,750 and ordered to pay the council’s legal costs of £606 and a victim surcharge of £170.

The court was told that working hours agreed by Bovis were 7.30am-6pm on weekdays and 8am-1pm on Saturdays with no working on Sundays or Bank Holidays.

Cllr Richard Overton, Telford & Wrekin Council’s cabinet member for development control, said: “We received complaints that the work was starting earlier and finishing later than the permitted times with work also being carried out on Sundays.

“At first, our officers tried to settle the matter out of court, but despite those efforts, we later had to resort to issuing a planning notice and resorting to legal action in the best interests of local residents.”