Residents blocked entrance to housing site in protest over lorry traffic

The Stanley Street site in Somercotes is being worked on by Miller Homes on behalf of Futures Housing in a bid to build 180 houses.

However, work ground to a halt on Friday, June 30, after the access was blocked by Coun John McCabe, Amber Valley Council cabinet member for environment and member for Somercotes and Somercotes Parish Council chairman, who parked his Hyundai i30 across the entrance and exit point.

A number of residents also ensured lorries could not enter or leave the development site, claiming dozens of lorries were backed up along Stanley Street trying to gain entry and a number on site attempting to leave.

Coun McCabe said it was a case of “stop the lorries, not stop the boats”.

Derbyshire Police attended the incident, which started at 11.15am, with a spokesman saying: “We were called to a report of residents blocking access to a construction site in Stanley Street, Somercotes, on June 30, at 11.25am.

“Our officers attended and it was determined the workers had been granted temporary permission to work on the site.

“Residents were advised they can protestm but cannot block the entrance to the site.”

A Miller Homes spokesman said: “All works being carried out are in line with the associated planning approval and construction management plan agreed by the council.

“In advance of construction commencing, we communicated with all nearby residents to ensure they were aware of our programme and to also provide contact details should they have any concerns.”

A Future Housing spokesman said: “We’re sorry about any disturbance to the local community from the Stanley Street site.

“The first phase of work means removing soil that won’t be needed and this is one of the most intense phases in terms of traffic.

“However this is a relatively short process and will likely be finished within a few days. Then the traffic and noise should reduce.

“We have measures in place to minimise all forms of disruption during the entire construction and these have been agreed with the council.

“We hope everyone affected will be understanding and if there are issues in future to let Miller Homes know so that we can try to address them.

“Everyone in the neighbourhood should have received a letter with more information including contact details.

“We know that it can sometimes be unpleasant living near a construction site but ultimately, when the work is finished, this project will mean more homes to help address the chronic shortage across the region.”

Coun McCabe said: “I was just doing what I could. I had had enough. I am not one to stand still, I want to do something for my community.”

He said the borough council was looking into whether the housebuilder was authorised to move soil from the site.

Residents said in a public council meeting this week that dozens of lorries per day are leaving the site with soil, which they believe to be contaminated due to the neighbouring historic landfill sites.

This waste is being transported in dozens of lorries a day to a site in nearby Ashfield, residents who followed the lorries on a previous occasion have confirmed, an issue which has been flagged with the area’s district council by Amber Valley and residents.

David James, a 73-year-old former maintenance engineer who has lived opposite the site for 44 years, was one of the residents helping to block the lorries.

He said: “In Covid, we were confined to our houses but at least we could use our gardens. Now we can’t even do that because of the noise and dust and the vibration.

“It is metres from my house and I am used to loud noises from when I worked in quarries but it was nothing like this.

“We could have a cup of tea in peace on-site in the quarries and now my cup of tea is moving across the table because of the vibration.

“I can’t hear my TV it is so loud.”