06 February 2024 , 13:38
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Residents were shocked to find a 60ft-high "monster" warehouse being built feet away from their homes without their knowledge after a council's error.
The council officials had accidentally consulted people living on Hubble Road in Corby, Northamptonshire, instead of nearby Hooke Close about the massive 160,800 sq ft development. When no one complained, North Northamptonshire Council gave the green light to build the massive warehouse on the old Weetabix factory site last November.
Georgie Wallis, a local resident, expressed her frustration saying: "If they'd consulted and said 'we're going to put a 160,000 sq ft warehouse there that's going to block your view' I would have obviously objected to it, but they didn't.
"How can you get that so wrong? How can you make such an error and wonder why no-one has objected? It's enormous. Once the shell goes in it, that's going to be a complete eyesore, and it already is, it's awful."
Jose Cruz, 64, and his wife Olga, 59, who moved into their two-bedroom semi-detached home in 2011, say they fear they will not be able to sell their £200,000 house due to the towering warehouse being built behind their home. Supermarket worker Jose said: "It's a nightmare, the building will leave our home in complete darkness."
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"There used to be a Weetabix factory on the site but it was half the size of this monstrosity and it had been dormant for a long time. We get the sun in the morning into our kitchen, garden and bedroom but not anymore. The works have caused our house to shake violently. It goes on for hours and hours. It's terrible and we're very angry we weren't consulted about it."
Resident Jose Cruz called the work "terrible" (Tom Maddick SWNS)Kieran Joseph, 30, an operations manager who has lived in the street with hairdresser Megan Cowan, 28, and their two children, for seven years, addedd: "It's been pretty hellish ever since they started building. While they have been laying the foundations, it's been a constant 'bang, bang, bang' all day every day.
Kieran Joseph and Megan Cowan live next to the new site (Tom Maddick SWNS)The vibrations have caused a crack in our roof so the kids' bedroom leaks and when I or Megan work from home we've had to explain and apologise to customers because of the noise. The galling thing is the council consulted the wrong road of residents and gave them detailed information and milestone dates while we were just kept in the dark.
"We really don't want to stay here any longer because even when the warehouse is finished, it's going to be so big it blocks out the light and they'll be cars and lorries coming in and out of it at all hours."
Work continues on the site in Corby (Tom Maddick SWNS)Block Industrial, the developer, has completed the groundwork at Earlstree 160 and is making headway with the above-ground construction. The project is set to be finished later this year. The warehouse is already being advertised for lease on Rightmove. It boasts a 12.5m internal clearance and a huge 50m wide service area for lorries. The eight-acre site will also provide parking for 109 cars and 25 HGVs.
Residents and councillors are fuming that they weren't properly informed, but the council maintains the development is legal. Labour councillor Mark Pengelly said: "The council (NNC) have admitted they consulted with the wrong streets on this application. Incredibly the North Northants planning officers consulted with homes next to a different Weetabix site. My constituents are furious and would have objected to how close the buildings are to their homes."
Conservative council leader Jason Smithers admitted: "North Northamptonshire Council has recently been made aware of an error which impacted upon our planning consultation process for the proposed redevelopment of an industrial site on the Earlstrees Industrial Estate in Corby and resulted in letters about a planning application being sent to residents in Hubble Road, Corby instead of Hooke Close, Corby.
"We understand the frustration caused to neighbouring residents of the development site and apologise for the error. We can confirm the permission remains lawful as a notice was placed at the site and a press advert was published - which fulfils the statutory part of the process. We apologise again for the error and residents can be assured we are doing all we can to ensure a similar issue doesn't happen again."