A LACK of enforcement by Craven District Council could lead future homes builders in the area to believe they can ignore planning conditions with impunity, Skipton residents have claimed.

Householders living near the Lovell housing development at Granville Street in the town say they are 'disappointed but not surprised' that the council has decided not to take formal enforcement action against the firm 'at the present time'.

They say they have been subjected to frequent noise and disturbance from site traffic during construction work, much of which they claim could have been avoided if Lovell had stuck to the original 'traffic management plan' agreed with the council when work started almost two years ago.

And Lovell came under fire just last month after residents claimed it had 'churned up' a path with heavy machinery in the town's Aireville Park, as well as building too close to two park trees, which may have to be cut down.

The company is the 'preferred partner' with the council for a planned 100-home development at Horse Close in Skipton.

Lovell has always maintained that it is willing to discuss all problems with residents.

Now, Craven District Council has written to residents to say that “at the present time it is not expedient to take formal enforcement action”.

That decision has been branded as 'weak' by people living near the site.

Jane Houlton, who lives on Granville Street, said: “Residents will be disappointed but not surprised.

"Craven District Council's decision...will only encourage Lovell and other developers to think that, in Craven, they can break their planning conditions over a period of years with impunity.

"If it had acted early on when Lovell started on site, we would have been spared 21 months of extreme nuisance.”

Mrs Houlton contacted the council to query the apparent lack of enforcement action and was told, she said, that any formal legal action would be 'time consuming and expensive', with no guarantee of success.

She added that, in her view, one of the reasons a law court might consider that Lovell had a defence is that the council had allowed the situation to continue unchecked for 21 months.

A council spokeswoman said: “The council always investigates complaints about unauthorised development or work not being undertaken in accordance with approved plans. With respect to the housing scheme off Granville Street, officers are investigating a number of allegations that have been made. Allegations have been made about work too close to protected trees, that houses on the western boundary have not been built in accordance with the approved plans, and about the design of boundary fences. These investigations are ongoing.

“Complaints have also been made that the developer sometimes does not comply with the traffic management plan. Concerns raised are that deliveries are sometimes brought to the site without following the approved route and that contractors park on the streets near the site. The council has liaised with Lovell to seek to ensure that the company and its contractors adhere to the management plan. To date, formal enforcement action on this matter has been avoided by resolving the problems that have occurred.”

Lovell regional director Simon Medler said: "We continue to work with the council to ensure that we comply with the planning conditions relating to the Granville Street development and to address residents’ traffic management and parking concerns. To date, we have introduced a number of measures including recruiting extra staff to manage traffic at access points.

"Where residents are experiencing continuing problems, we sincerely apologise, and as we have said before, we would be happy to meet with them to discuss their concerns and identify possible solutions.”

l Letters: Page 12