LOCALS RALLY ROUND ROCHFORDS Company in dispute with local authority
PLANS by Rochford Garden Machinery to expand the Wincanton-based business and thus create new jobs in the area have hit the buffers after South Somerset District Council received a complaint about the noise levels coming from the premises.
Rochfords who have been in the Somerset town since 1982 moved to a purpose built new premises on the Wincanton Business Park in 2002. At the time, the area was reserved for industrial use and also houses a number of car dealerships.
In the past few years, the local authority has allowed the development of a new 21 acre housing estate on the fringes of the business park - and the noise complaint was made to South Somerset Distric Council by a single resident of the new development.
Commenting, md Peter Rochford said “Our plan was to expand this site to accomodate our ever-expanding business, but due to the legal issues surrounding complaints of noise pollution, we have decided to halt the development which would have created a number of new jobs”
The Council’s Enviromental Health officers had said that “the testing of chainsaws have the potential to cause a nuisance” citing a noise level of 70 decibels in the living room of the complainant.
However, local businesses and local people have rallied to support Rochfords saying the Council are at fault for not carrying out sound checks in the area before granting planning permission for the new housing development in 2006.
Wincanton resident Ted Morley said “I’ve lived in the Wincanton area for over 50 years and amazed at the attitude of the local authority. Trading estates are designated for business use and they should have assessed noise levels before building houses next door.”
He added “Mr Rochford has spent a considerable amount of businesss building up a succesful business and created a lot of jobs for local people.” Another, Iain Philips said “Rochford Garden Machinery is a real success story and we should be supporting businesses like that, not stifling them.”
Peter Rochford says, "We currently have a legal situation where we are struggling to to get any kind of logical clarification from the local authority despite the fact thaty we have never had a noise complaint previously - and we have been on this site since 2002.”
A spokesman for South Somerset Distict Council said “We are continuing to work with Rochfords to resolve the situation”
