Furious neighbours have won a planning battle over noises from a dental surgery that have made their lives miserable.
Friends Dental Practice, in Sprowston, has had a retrospective planning application turned down for three air conditioning units on the side of its new extension.
The Wroxham Road practice had successfully applied for the extension and building work was carried out last year – but now its management has been reprimanded by Broadland District Council.
The people living next door had written to the district council, town council and Norwich North MP Chloe Smith pleading for help about the “huge intrusion” into their lives.
Having reported initial suspicions that planning permission had been breached in July, the neighbours were also angry that Broadland did not intervene before the units were installed in early October.
The neighbours, whose names are redacted from the report, said: “The three fan exhaust units which are completely out of character, installed at a high level in a domestic area passageway, they sound as if there is a refrigeration lorry parked in the passageway.
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“The exhaust pipe from the surgery suction machine sounds like a jet engine and the smell is obnoxious, therefore we are not able to open our windows or door.
“They are all causing a disturbance while we are sitting in our lounge or in our utility kitchen.”
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These objections were backed up by district councillor Natasha Harpley, Sprowston Town Council – which said it “strongly opposed” to the “extremely intrusive” work - and Broadland’s environmental quality team.
The application was rejected last week, with a decision by Broadland’s planning department stating: "It is considered that the impacts of the air conditioning units in terms of noise and disturbance are unacceptable.”
Dr Zain Shamoon, principal dentist at Friends Dental Practice, confirmed they have stopped using the air conditioning units, which were wanted for the comfort of patients and staff.
He said the "residential type" units were carefully selected for "minimal noise impact" on the advice of their installation company and that the council had not inspected "properly" in the context of Wroxham Road being busy with "lots of traffic noise".
Dr Shamoon concluded: "Despite our disappointment in the council's decision, we remain committed to working collaboratively to find a resolution.
"Friends Dental Practice is dedicated to supporting the community of Norwich through our private and NHS dental services.
"We look forward to continuing our positive engagement with the council to address any concerns and ensure the harmonious coexistence of our practice within the community."
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