Residents say living next to waste processing plant is ‘horrendous’ because of noise, dust and trucks

By Grainne Cuffe, local democracy reporter

A woman living beside a tip claims the dust is so bad she can write her name on her car 30 minutes after washing it.

Residents say the waste processing plant in Brixton is “horrendous” because of the noise, dust, and huge trucks trundling past several times a day.

Waste firm Norris opened the plant in Shakespeare Road in 2019. The site had been used to process waste for about a decade.

But residents were furious, with one launching a petition demanding the council shut the plant down.

Now developer Urban & Provincial plans to replace the plant with 218 flats in blocks of five to 11 storeys.

More than 160 people have objected to the plans over fears about the height of the blocks in an already densely populated area.

Supporters want to get rid of the waste plant and say London is in desperate need of new homes.

One woman, who did not wish to be named, said she wasn’t keen on the flats but wanted to get rid of “that thing”.

She said: “It’s disgusting – I can’t open my windows with the dust. I’m asthmatic and it’s been worse ever since that opened.

“It took me two hours to wash my car yesterday – half an hour later it looked like it hadn’t been touched and you could write your name in the dust.

The woman, who said she regretted ever moving to the road, said flats would be better but the development is too big.

She said: “I don’t want people staring down at me into my windows.”

PR worker Nicola Green felt the same as she lives opposite the waste plant.

The 44-year-old said: “I’d really much prefer flats to the tip – it’s awful. It creates so much dust and noise.

“I feel really positive about the idea of residential development but the plan they’ve got feels like a ridiculous size and density for that space.

“It’s not great living across from it, with the air pollution of having the dump, but they have to do a reasonable plan as well.”

Musician Andrew McLean said he doesn’t mind the plant, he lives nearby.

The 40-year-old said: “There’s dust but I’d rather that than all those flats.

“We’ll lose our privacy. We’ve got flats towering over our back garden – that’s the problem with everywhere now, they’re just building flats upon flats and everyone is looking at everyone. There’s no privacy anymore.”

IYA -General widget Norris has been contacted for comment.

The plans are linked to another application from the developer seeking to move the plant to West Norwood.

The waste provision must be replaced elsewhere in Lambeth before the flats go ahead. But plans for the replacement centre were defeated in July.

Dubbed the “most unpopular” application Lambeth Council has ever seen, a planning committee unanimously rejected the proposals after huge pushback from local families.

Urban & Provincial said it was planning to appeal at the meeting. The developer has been contacted for comment.

But in a planning document, it says: “The site is currently isolated within a largely residential area and not located within a wider industrial setting and consequently does not have the capacity and freedom to operate modern waste management technologies.”