Noisy neighbour Zeus slapped with £10K fine

From the archive, first published Friday 17th Jun 2005.

AN Amblecote resident is furious his noisy neighbour has only been fined £10,000 for `making his life a misery'.

Zeus Aluminium Products Ltd in Wollaston High Street was brought before Halesowen Magistrates on Monday June 13 and admitted failing to comply with a noise abatement notice.

The company was fined £10,000 and ordered to pay £830 court costs.

But Barry Cope, of Hollybush Lane, said the company should have been closed down.

The 61-year-old said: "Is that all they have been fined?

"Quite honestly I think it is abysmal the fact they are allowed to carry on.

"They were clearly in breach of regulations."

The former sales and marketing guru said since the company moved to the site more than two years ago they have "ruined the idyllic and peaceful neighbourhood it once was".

The protesting pensioner added: "Our lives are an absolute misery now."

The factory was not prosecuted for complaints about odour problems.

But Mr Cope said this was where the real problem lied.

He said he could no longer open his back door or sit in the garden because the smell was atrocious.

Amblecote councillor Pat Martin, who has been fighting the campaign against noise and odours from the factory, said Dudley Council has been carrying out odour level monitoring tests.

She said the tests carried out in May were unreliable because of weather conditions - but more are planned for next month.

Cllr Martin was delighted with the news of the prosecution and said she hoped the firm had learnt its lesson and would quieten down in the future.

Aongus Gordon, director of Ruskin Mill Education Trust, said: "If the company had taken notice of public opinion, local representation and my considerable references back to them, they would have understood the noise was excessive.

"I hope the company will take this message and if they want any support from us they should actually communicate and come over."

Zeus Aluminium managing director Neil Geldard-Williams said the fine had hit the company hard.

He said: "We did plead guilty to the charge because we are aware that some of our banging and clanging has been an issue.

"We have put things in place to rectify that."

The disgruntled manager said he had banned radios from the factory and was keen to resolve the problem.

He said he was also working with the council to solve the odour problem.

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