Iceland refused permission for air-con units installed in 2016
ICELAND might have to remove air conditioning units from its Vale Avenue building after planners ruled the equipment made too much noise and would disturb the neighbours.
However, the planning report noted that no noise complaints have been received about the units, which have been in place for two years.
Sandpiper CI, which runs the franchise, applied to install the units in 2016, but only now have the planners rejected the scheme. The units have already been installed.
In the planning refusal, planning director Jim Rowles said the scheme was contrary to planning policies due to the noise.
‘Owing to the proximity of neighbouring residential dwellings the proposed air conditioning units would give rise to an unacceptable degree of noise nuisance as a result of the noise generated by the units installed, to the detriment of the residential amenities enjoyed by the occupiers of these properties,’ he said in the notice.
There are homes to the north, south and east of the Iceland building.
A Sandpiper spokesman said the units had been in place for two years.
‘As the planning application report says, no complaints have been received,’ he said.
‘Specialist contractors are now reviewing the siting of the air conditioning units and will recommend the best of the three options suggested by the Development & Planning Authority.’
The delay in the planning decision was due to the ruling being deferred while more information was gathered.
Air conditioning and chiller condensers are needed to supply chilled air to the food storage areas. A noise solution report suggested that the condensers could be moved further away from nearby homes and acoustic enclosures could be installed.
However, an environmental noise assessment raised serious concerns about the condensers’ night-time noise and that reducing the noise from all eight units to a low level was unrealistic and impractical.
More information was requested from the people who wrote these reports, but it was not provided.
Environmental Health advised that the application be rejected.
‘Although complaints about noise have not been received by the Office for Environmental Health and Pollution Regulation, there is a strong likelihood of future complaints and the overall increase to background noise from the plant and equipment which has been installed,’ an Environmental Health official said in the report.
The planners were not concerned about the appearance of the units, which are at the rear of the building, away from the road.
