Portslade store criticised over noise nuisance and planning breaches
A supermarket in Portslade has been criticised for repeatedly disturbing its neighbours and breaching planning conditions.
The criticisms of Aldi, in Carlton Terrace, Portslade, were made when the store applied for planning permission to extend its trading hours.
These were restricted under previous planning conditions to protect, among others, the people living in the 12 flats above, known as Ronuk House.
Aldi commissioned specialists Sharps Redmore Partnership to carry out a noise survey.
But this was also criticised as flawed for measuring only the noise in the car park at a meeting of the Brighton and Hove City Council Planning Committee at Hove Town Hall.
Councillor Les Hamilton said: “Aldi has made no attempt to measure the noise in the store or in the flats above where the complaints were coming from.
“The flats above the shop are occupied by key workers, many of whom work shifts and this will further affect their sleep.
Councillor Les Hamilton
“This is not an independent noise survey. It was commissioned by Aldi and I think it is an inadequate noise survey.”
He also said: “The trading hours at the present time are perfectly adequate.”
One of the residents of Ronuk House said: “We’ve made complaints about the noise to environmental health but nothing has been done. We want proper enforcement.
“Aldi do not comply with current regulations. Staff regularly work in the store outside the permitted hours.”
She said that the store was refitted in July and contractors worked all night on two successive weekends, keeping people awake.
Despite complaints to the environmental health department nothing was done, she said.
Residents could hear staff talking in the store and the loading bay, lorries being unloaded and banging.
They could feel vibrations, she said, and hear doors in the store opening and closing, trolleys inside and outside the store and even the noise of the tills.
Ronuk House residents wanted an independent nose study to be carried out, soundproofing to be checked and the current planning and noise regulations enforced.
Aldi asked for weekday trading hours to be extended so that the shop could shut at 9pm rather than the present 8pm.
Rob Scadding, of Planning Potential, on behalf of Aldi, said: “The decision has not been taken lightly. It has been driven by customer demand.
“Modern working hours mean a lot of people are not able to meet their shopping demands by 10pm. And most of Aldi’s local competitors are open until 10pm.”
He conceded that the store had breached planning rules over the summer when essential maintenance had to be carried out.
The store had warned neighbours, he said, and provided them with hampers, adding: “The proposed amendments are necessary.”
He said that the current planning conditions were restrictive and said: “It’s not always possible to please everyone.”
Councillor Ollie Sykes said: “There are a series of ongoing complaints about breaches of existing conditions.”
Councillor Carol Theobald said: “I can’t understand why the environmental health department hasn’t looked into this.
“Whatever conditions we put on this store, they take no notice.
“I feel very sorry for the neighbours who have to put up with this noise.”
Councillor Graham Cox said that he was pleased that the store was doing well and giving the bigger supermarkets some competition.
But he said: “Aldi’s relations with their neighbours have broken down.
“They need to mend their relationship with their neighbours before coming back with any more applications.”
The application was overwhelmingly rejected because the noise assessment was considered to be inadequate.
The planning committee also said that the applicant had not shown that the extended hours would not have a detrimental effect on the amenity of residents.
Mr Scadding said that Aldi would consider whether to appeal.
