Complaints of noise at 5.30am are still being made about a depot, months after it opened.

Labour councillors say an agreement for a 7am opening time at newly opened Oakleigh Depot on Oakleigh Road South is being regularly breached, with residents facing a “daily nightmare” of noise.

The noisy depot was the object of complaints while it was being developed by Barnet Council and outside firm Willmott Dixon, which stated this was partly due to a crane that was being moved.

However the noise has continued since this time and Labour councillors say acoustic screening which was promised has not been delivered.

Cllr Kathy Levine said: “Residents are facing a daily nightmare of noise, fumes and light pollution, and now they are being woken up at 5.30am six days a week and at 7am on Sundays - they have no respite from it and it is totally unacceptable.

“Although the planning committee allowed the operational times to be varied by management agreement they set a start time at 7am, and I don’t think the application would have been agreed if the committee knew that the hours would subsequently be extended to start at 5.30am.

“The acoustic screening and replacement of trees along the border of the depot and Coppies Grove needs to be delivered urgently to ensure that residents’ amenity is protected as set out in the planning consent.”

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Chairman of Barnet Council’s environment committee, Cllr Dean Cohen, said: “We are conscious that the new depot is located in a residential area.

“We have proactively engaged with residents and put measures in place to ensure that noise and disruption is kept to a minimum.

“The operational hours have been approved by the planning authority and are in line with hours at the previous depot at Mill Hill, which operated successfully over many years in a residential area.

“Although the conditions of the planning consent have been met, in response to resident concerns I have asked officers to install additional screening at the far corner of the site.”

The council has also said measures which will be introduced to ensure the comfort of residents include staggering staff arrival times, engines being switched off when not in use and staff training to ensure disturbance is kept to a minimum.