Council asked to boycott Nutters in security light row

Nutters Restaurant

In a surprise move, the Norden Area Forum has stepped into the dispute between Nutters Restaurant and a neighbour, who claims that security and car parking lighting is making their lives intolerable.

The neighbours, Steve and Sushma Davison, say that the problem goes back to 2011 when Nutters upgraded their car park security lighting. The lights now glare directly into their bedroom where, Mr Davison claims, it is light enough to read a book without turning a bedside lamp on.

The stress of the ongoing dispute has caused Mr Davison to seek medical help and he says that Nutters have so far refused to answer his concerns.

Mr and Mrs Davison have received overwhelming support from the Forum which agreed to support a number of practical resolutions to encourage the council and the restaurant to address the issue urgently. Significantly, the Forum has asked that the council does not in future use Nutters restaurant for council events until the problem has been resolved by an abatement notice or other measures.

At a recent public meeting Mr Davison thanked the Norden Area Forum for their continued support in their quest to get Nutters to address this long standing issue. They explained that there had been no progress since the last meeting three months earlier. One light was turned off for about four weeks but is now working again having been replaced with one of a similar design. Mr Davison claims that it could easily have been replaced with a more appropriate one which doesn’t spill light outside the restaurant's grounds and consumes less electricity.

There has been some support from Rochdale Council's Planning and Regulation team and Mr Davison had responded enthusiastically to a council suggestion of mediation  when raised at the full township meeting on the 12 September. However, nothing more has been heard since then.

Because it was 12 months since the problem began the Davisons had reluctantly issued a formal complaint in order to find out why an abatement notice has not been served to date given that the restaurant refuses to discuss the situation or make any meaningful changes. Mr Davison has also submitted a Freedom of Information request to get details of an earlier complaint about the lighting by another neighbour and also to find out how much public money is spent on council entertainment at the restaurant.

The chairman of the forum, Nigel Morrell, provided his feedback on the situation having visited the Davison’s home on 9 December. He informed the Forum that the “photos underestimate the impact of the lighting” and said that “poor public relations and poor neighbourly relations reflects appallingly on Nutters”.

Following the Forum meeting, the Council's planning and regulation team agreed to undertake further tests imminently.

Mr Davison also met with Jim Dobbin, their MP, in order to seek his support and he has promised to discuss the problem with the council.

http://www.rochdaleonline.co.uk/news-features/2/news/76054/nutters-neighbour-losing-sleep-as-security-lights-blaze-away