CONCERNS have been raised by businesses on the outskirts of Welshpool, who fear they will receive complaints about noise and emissions from people living on a nearby housing estate if it gets built.

A mixture of 54 two, three and four bedroom houses including bungalows have been proposed by Mid-Wales Housing for land at Gallowstree Bank in Welshpool.

Developers Pickstock Homes are set to build the houses for Mid-Wales Housing and have confirmed that the site is earmarked for 100 per-cent affordable homes which would be seen as a significant boost for the town.

But businesses at the nearby Buttington Cross Enterprise Park have warned Powys CC to expect complaints from would be residents over noise and emissions, that are part and parcel of their operations.

The businesses point out that they were there first and have said they will defend themselves from complaints.

Karl Meredith, of Castalum, said: "Building houses adjacent to a foundry and other manufacturing businesses will not engender a high quality of life.

"We manufacture six days per week and for 24 hours.

"On the close of day we carry out maintenance.

"The potential residents will thus be subject every day to some noise and smoke, which although within the bounds of our environmental requirements will provide a constant nuisance."

Mr Meredith believes that the council will end up receiving complaints from residents, which also includes heavy good vehicles coming in and out of the industrial estate.

He  also warns that the problems will lie with the council and planning department for allowing the development to go ahead.

Other companies on the Enterprise Park including Stairways have also shared their concerns with the Powys CC planners.

Pickstock homes managing director, Nick Scott, said that that the firm had been in discussion with Powys Council over the issues and was able to change aspects of the design which would lessen the impact that noise from the enterprise park would have.

Mr Scott said: "During the consultation process we have been in detailed dialogue with the planning authority on this particular issue.

"Powys Council’s Environmental Health officer has advised on the scope of the report we needed to undertake and we subsequently have employed an acoustic consultant to prepare a report in response to the agreed brief.

"Part of this process involved taking accurate readings to confirm the level of noise produced by the industrial estate and other noise sources and to then model the impact on the proposed development.

"From this model we have been able to amend the scheme proposals to include appropriate levels of mitigation to ensure that the amenity of residents both in their garden areas and within the dwellings is fully protected and that the noise levels produced by nearby businesses are controlled to below the recognised threshold considered to cause a nuisance."

Mr Scott said that they have revised the layout to ensure that the residential properties are set back from the boundary closest to the industrial estate.

The scheme has been altered to provide bungalows and incorporated an  acoustic fence to the scheme boundary.

The bungalow layout has  has also been changed to provide for bedrooms to be situated on the opposite side of where the noise is being generated.

Mr Scott added: "The proposed scheme will deliver 100 per cent affordable housing and as such represents a very significant investment in the local community addressing an identified need, which has historically not been met."

The scheme has also been backed by Welshpool Town Council.