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21
Aug 2022
Kingsley residents suffering construction dust call on council to tackle developers
Residents in Harrogate's Kingsley ward say construction traffic has left them worrying about harmful dust and air pollution — but a "weak" Harrogate Borough Council has done little to clamp down on developers.
Over 700 homes will eventually be built in the ward by five different developers but Kingsley Road and Kingsley Drive are accessed off the busy Knaresborough Road.
This has led to lorries and trucks driving through residential roads to get to the building sites.
Residents say the construction traffic has resulted in vast amounts of dust and dirt from lorries ending up on roads, cars and houses. They say it's so bad they worry they'll have to wear masks to protect themselves.
Gary Tremble, from Kingsley Ward Action Group (KWAG), said:
Mr Tremble believes the dust is made up of PM10, an air pollutant typically seen on building sites. When breathed in, it can penetrate deep into the lungs.
Exposure to high concentrations of PM10 has been linked by scientists to asthma attacks, high blood pressure, heart attacks and strokes.
'We've been ignored'
When a development receives planning permission from HBC, conditions are attached that stipulate how housebuilders will minimise the impact of issues including dirt and dust.
This sometimes involves making sure there are onsite wheel cleaners and covering wagons that are carrying materials or waste.
Mr Tremble added:
Read more:
- Calls to tackle construction vehicles who cause ‘misery’ in Harrogate
Residents criticise key Harrogate planning document as ‘incoherent’
The issue of how effective the council's planning enforcement team was raised at a council meeting this week.
Conservative councillor for Old Bilton, Paul Haslam, said he and other councillors had received complaints from KWAG accusing the council’s planning enforcement team of not ensuring that conditions were being upheld.
Conservative councillor for the Washburn ward, Victoria Oldham, asked Cllr Haslam if he thought HBC’s planning enforcement team was acting on complaints from residents “in a timeous manner”.
Cllr Haslam said he was concerned that enforcement officers “don’t have enough support”. He said:
'Addressing the concerns'
In response to KWAG, a Harrogate Borough Council spokesperson said:
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