Benfleet residents vow to sue Essex County Council over monster road sign (From Echo)
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Benfleet residents vow to sue Essex County Council over monster road sign
9:30am Tuesday 8th January 2013 in Local News
The view from David Stojkin's home in Hornbeams, Benfleet
IT looms over rooftops and bright light glares from it at night, but it’s not a spaceship, this huge roadsign has left angry neighbours wishing they could say “beam me up Scotty” to escape from it.
A string of residents in Hornbeams, Benfleet, may pursue legal action against Essex County Council over the “obtrusive” roadsign across the A130 leading up to the Sadlers Farm roundabout.
They claim the sign does not have planning permission, but bosses at County Hall say it isn’t needed.
David Stojkin, 66, lives in one of the homes affected and says at night the glare of car headlights reflecting off the sign, coupled with streetlights in the area, is like the “Starship Enterprise landing”.
He says a number of residents have got solicitors involved because of the blight it has brought on their lives and some people have had to buy lining for their curtains because the light is so intense at night.
They are considering suing Essex County Council for light pollution and invasion, but have been advised by lawyers that County Hall will not receive formal complaints on the matter until June.
He said: “It sticks out like a sore thumb, it’s so obtrusive it’s untrue.
“I sit down for breakfast and I see it, I go into the bedrooms and bathroom and I see it. You just can’t get away from it.
“For now we are just sitting pretty really, but we are getting advice from solicitors and are in constant touch with them.”
Mr Stojkin says two road signs were shown in the original plans for the £63million scheme to improve the notorious junction - one which is sited further towards Sadlers Farm, and another, which is the one that overlooks Hornbeams, that he said should have been installed nearer the A127.
An Essex County Council spokeswoman said: “All of the gantry signs which span the A13 and A130 were included in the planning application for the Sadlers Farm junction improvement scheme, which was granted permission in March 2008.
“Planning permission is not required to install road signs as these are covered under the Town and Country Planning (General Permitted Development) Order 2010.
“Essex County Council is aware of concerns from local residents around this particular gantry, and we are currently in discussions with our contractor about possible ways of mitigating this.”
Comments(14)
J_blond
says...
9:57am Tue 8 Jan 13
So if they want it lower, then they can use the analagy - a lorry crashed through my house with a sign stuck to its cab like the starship Enterprise...
If you live by a busy road, you have to put up with the consequences. I don't spend a lot of time staring out of my windows endlessly at night, why do these people?
Leighdweller
says...
10:09am Tue 8 Jan 13
I'm not sure I would agree with Mr Stojkin's assertion that they are sitting pretty either.
Elephantman2
says...
10:10am Tue 8 Jan 13
Brunning999
says...
10:25am Tue 8 Jan 13
The right of 'Ancients lights rule' might be useful?
marshman
says...
10:54am Tue 8 Jan 13
Barry Bas
says...
10:58am Tue 8 Jan 13
marshman wrote:Wait until spring, the leaves on the trees in front will hide it.
A nice block of flats would hide it.
emcee
says...
11:20am Tue 8 Jan 13
Brunning999 wrote:Actually, the residents are correct...sort of. However, light pollution may be the wrong phrase to describe it.
Sue for light pollution that's a joke! It is no different to street lights on any main road.
The right of 'Ancients lights rule' might be useful?
If the glare from lights (in this case from headlight reflections and/or sign illumination) encroaches directly INTO their houses then, yes, they do have a case. Same rules as street lights.
Recently, I had the council put a light shield on a new street light outside my home because it's glare was shining directly into my lounge.
J_blond
says...
12:08pm Tue 8 Jan 13
So what can the council do? Remove the sign? Drivers won't know where to go. Move it back? Cost a lot of money to remove and replace the gantry a few metres. Make it smaller? Doubt they will have made it large just because...
Wow, how do people who live next to motorways cope?
And it's hardly an intrusion, as another poster has pointed out, come spring, the tree in front of the sign in the picture will obscure a large amount of it!
iknowbetter
says...
12:22pm Tue 8 Jan 13
Brunning999 wrote:What was that you said about Benfleet residents not making any noise... bl00dy Nimbies!!!!
Sue for light pollution that's a joke! It is no different to street lights on any main road.
The right of 'Ancients lights rule' might be useful?
I think they should should errect another one in Polish..
iknowbetter
says...
12:25pm Tue 8 Jan 13
Eric Whim
says...
12:58pm Tue 8 Jan 13
Tom from Southend
says...
1:25pm Tue 8 Jan 13
saarfender
says...
5:24pm Tue 8 Jan 13
I recall that on the original plans for the road changes there was to be a dedicated cycle path from the Rushbottom Lane bridleway underpass to the A127. This would have opened a valuable link and saved cyclists either risking the A130 or having to make a considerable detour.
The residents of Hornbeams, in my recollection, objected to this as they didn't want cyclists at the end of their garden. These objections were upheld, and I recall that as part of the changes the road was re-aligned slightly.
As a result of the NIMBYISM, cyclists continue to have to divert up the steep hills to get to Rayliegh Weir, or head down through Basildon. Signifcant impact.
I have little sympathy for residents who moved into a house alongside a major road who now complain about aspects of that road, and part of me wonders whether that sign would even be there today had they not complained about a valuable cycle route and got the plans changed and road re-aligned.
Rich"Carol says...
9:46am Tue 8 Jan 13