Noise problems for Pickersgill
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• Livestock haulier Howard Pickersgill, trading as W J Pickersgill & Son of Ripon, has 14 days to consider whether to make representations about the effects on his business of two conditions imposed on his licence by North Eastern Licensing Authority Frederick Whalley.
Pickersgill had applied to renew his national licence for six vehicles and three trailers in possession, with one vehicle and four trailers to be acquired. The application was opposed by Harrogate Borough Council, and Whalley was considering taking action against the licence for poor maintenance and overloading convictions.
The objection followed complaints from local resident Eric Lloyd-Clarke, whose bedroom overlooks Pickersgill's yard. He complained about being disturbed by the movement of vehicles at all times of the day and night and by the bawling of cattle.
Evidence was given about noise levels by an environmental health officer but he was unable to distinguish between the noise of the cattle and the vehicles.
A vehicle examiner gave details about one immediate and three delayed prohibitions imposed on the vehicles during a recent fleet inspection and said that there appeared to have been no improvement in maintenance since a public inquiry in 1985.
Pickersgill said that he had taken over the business from his father. They had operated from the same yard for 55 years, since before the residential property was built.
Whalley said that he was only prepared to grant a licence for five vehicles and seven trailers for one year and proposed attaching two conditions to the licence: While authorised vehicles are at the operating centre engines must not run for more than five minutes and no radios must be switched on; also, there must be no movement of authorised vehicles after 23.00 hours or before 07.00 hours unless notification is given to the local authority.