LEFTWICH residents living near the controversial Dane Valley housing development say they have been kept awake by a pump operating on site.

Residents living in the Withington Close and Bollington Drive area, which backs onto Bellway' 'Rose Meadow' building site, raised concerns over the weekend after continuous noise left them unable to sleep.

Cllr Andrew Cooper is the Cheshire West and Chester Council representative for the area.

After receiving a number of complaints from residents, he paid a visit to the site on Saturday and recorded the noise from the unattended pumps.

He said: “I had some hiking boots on and it was lucky I did – it is pretty wet down there.

August 2019 >>> Dane Valley plans in spotlight after heavy rain

“It looked to me like they were using pumps for the standing water.

Northwich Guardian:

The Dane Valley. Photo: Alan Redley

“There are two pumps running in series and it’s the near one that is the issue. It’s quite noisy.

“I stood there for about 15 minutes to see whether there was anyone around but it was quite clear the site was deserted and the pumps had been left unattended.”

Cllr Cooper was told by those living nearby that the pumps had been running day and night since around Thursday, and has passed on concerns – along with his own findings – to CWAC to take up with Bellway.

March 2019 >>> 227-home Dane Valley plans approved on appeal

“It’s not very neighbourly,” Cllr Cooper said. “It echoes up the valley, and if you have got a window open at night or you are at the back of the houses there it is keeping people awake.

“People accept that there will be some noise from a development site, but that’s quite different to it running 24 hours a day across the entire weekend, or at night when people have work in the morning.

Northwich Guardian:

The River Dane. Photo: Andrew Cooper

“That is what you have developmental control for. I will be asking for it to be dealt with as soon as possible so that residents don’t have their sleep disturbed for too much longer.”

Anyone who wants to contact the council directly can hand over noise levels and information to CWAC to help them build a complete picture.

The Guardian has approached Bellway Homes for a comment.