Residents living near Banton Mill say demolition firm has detracted from the quality of rural living

They claim BDL Demolitions have caused issues such as contaminating the land with dumped materials and caused disturbances due to the constant movement of heavy vehicles.

Irate Neighbour Andrew Ryder said: “They have no planning permission and are destroying our lives. It has gone on for two years with no enforcement action. They are destroying trees and land as well as dumping materials which will leach into the dam and on into the canal. The noise, dust and nuisance goes on daily with large lorries coming and going.”

Councillor Jean Jones said that Banton and Kelvinhead Community Council has agreed to write to SEPA and North Lanarkshire Council with their concerns.

She added: “A planning application has been submitted but everything was not included. I have asked planning to get the work stopped until the application is ruled on as I feel they are making a mockery of the system but the enforcement side takes sometime to pursue in line the legislation. The Council Environmental Services Protective Services Officer has been out but has not been able to get noise levels that would allow for then to take action.

Peter Beattie, managing director of BDL Demolition, said: “We have been in frequent contact with SEPA and NLC who have visited the site on various occasions due to unsubstantiated reports of material dumping, regarding dumping of materials within site, we can confirm that any materials brought on to the site form part of the exemptions certification we currently operate under having been issued by NLC.

“All BDL Demolition truck movements which occur are carried-out during normal working hours to reduce any noise pollution to the surrounding properties. We would point out that we operate a joint access with others and that all truck movements are not under our control. We have cleared overgrown foliage areas of the yard which have been unused for years and which had fallen or dangerously hanging trees. We have had no notification from SEPA or any other body of any pollution to any waterways.”