Alcan recycling, Thelwall Lane has just had a planning application passed to build a new plant for recycling aluminium at the back of its existing plant, costing £5 million, but it has now changed its mind and decided it will reopen the ALCOA factory, which was shut down a couple of months ago.

The Alcoa factory backs onto our houses and since it shut down it's been one less noise to put up with. It has now become unbearable to live here, we feel we are being driven out of our homes because of this seemingly non-stop noise from Alcan.

Despite various people from environmental health and the health and safety manager from Alcan traipsing around our home with various recording devices in the bedrooms and garden, making pointless remarks like: 'It's the way the wind's blowing', and 'It's very quiet round here isn't it? That's why it sounds so loud!'

Well I say, how would they like to try and sleep with a bugging noise like someone drilling a hole in your head through your ears all night, or how having a 'quiet' sit and chat in your garden to relax, can lead to extreme levels of stress.

Mrs Anne Heesom

Westy