Anyone who lives in or travels along West Heath Road, will know that the developments over the past few years have turned a pleasant road into a nightmare. Within 50 yards of my front door are five current developments, with a sixth about to commence. T

Anyone who lives in or travels along West Heath Road, will know that the developments over the past few years have turned a pleasant road into a nightmare.

Within 50 yards of my front door are five current developments, with a sixth about to commence. There has not been a single week over the past eight years in which we have not heard the noise from one building site or another.

We have two monstrous cranes hanging over the road and unending lorries with the concomitant disruption.

This week, however, the developers of one particular site have surpassed themselves. Over the past few months they have transformed a small hill with one house on it, into a pit about 70-80ft feet deep on which they have permission to build four large houses.

To remove all the soil, we have had to endure months of inconvenience, whilst every day several dozens of lorries blocked every available place to park, backed onto the site, were loaded and drove away.

Those hundreds of lorries smashed the drains and two weeks ago temporary traffic lights were installed whilst repairs were effected. The road was replaced but the developer has kept the lights, which are put into operation every time a delivery lorry arrives to unload.

Entry and exit from our home is difficult and very dangerous and the noise of hooting from frustrated drivers every rush-hour is becoming unbearable

I do not believe that permission has been granted by Barnet for this but it is extremely difficult to get the council to reply to any such query.

The development was allowed on the basis that certain trees would be retained.

Three months ago they were cut down and where they stood there are now 12 portable buildings on the perimeter and immediately above the pavement. The visual impact is dreadful.

I am certain that no planning authority would allow such a construction but I cannot get an answer from Barnet on this matter either. Another of the stipulations in the planning consent was that no breaks would be made in the outside walls of the site.

There is now a new large opening on West Heath Road with a flight of concrete steps leading up to the site office. Barnet Council gives no response to my questions about this.

If the site is too small to allow lorries to enter and unload why was permission given to build so much, on a site clearly unable to handle such traffic?

It appears that any development will be allowed by Barnet with no thought or consideration given to local residents.

Before the next house is pulled down to allow the construction of yet more flats could we have a break of a year or two to allow us to sit peacefully in our homes, dust and noise free?

Martyn Woolf

West Heath Road, NW3