A LEADING Bury manufacturer has been given permission to build a lorry parking area near homes in Redvales.

Councillors voted to approve Thumbs Up (Bury) Ltd’s plans to construct the facility in Dumers Lane six months after the committee refused similar proposals due to noise complaints.

However, after taking advice from the council’s planning department, the committee approved the plans claiming they were satisfied with changes made to the application during Tuesday’s meeting of the planning committee.

Dozens of residents from nearby Whitefield Road raised concerns over the noise and potential flooding risk at the site during a protest outside the town hall before the meeting.

Cllr Tamoor Tariq, who spoke against the plans, told the meeting: “We do strongly feel that the concerns of residents have still not been met.”

David Hanson, who spoke on behalf of residents’, added: “There are only insignificant differences between this application and the previous one which was refused in April by 70 per cent of the members present and voting. A senior Bury councillor, not on this committee, described the company as being in the wrong position, standing on a flood plain across a wildlife corridor and land-locked between a school and houses on three sides, and a flood-prone river on the fourth, in a predominately residential area.”

A Thumbs Up representative said that the firm, which manufactures and supplies plastic house and garden wares, is one of Bury’s few international companies and one of the largest employers in the area with 240 staff. He added: “This application is identical in most respects to the one which was refused and that was refused on the grounds of noise disturbance, in spite of the lack of any objection from the council’s environmental health officer. This new application has been made to respond as positively as possible to the grounds for refusal.”

The new application includes sound proofing measures such as a two metre high acoustic fence.