ONE of the nation's biggest housebuilders has been handed an enforcement notice by Bradford Council for breaching planning rules on a major new development.

It has emerged that Persimmon Homes were given the notice after residents living near a 124 house development reported building work starting at the site as early as 6.30am.

The Council considers such notices as a last resort in planning disputes, and said the breaches continued even after Persimmon was warned to by the authority.

The enforcement notice means that if the developer continues to work outside its permitted hours, Bradford Council could take them to court.

The company maintains that since getting the notice, it has stuck to the conditions.

The controversial Branshaw Park development, off Occupation Road in Keighley, was originally refused by Bradford Council, but that decision was overturned when a planning inspector sided with Persimmon following an appeal.

Work started on the site early last year.

A condition imposed on the development was that work could only take place between 7:30am and 6pm on Monday to Friday, and 8am to 1pm on Saturday. No work is allowed on site on Sundays or Bank Holidays.

But residents of nearby homes reported to the council that they regularly heard work being done before 7am and as late as 5pm on Saturday, as well as skips being delivered into the site early in the morning.

Explaining the reason for the enforcement notice being issued, the Council has said: "The Local Planning Authority was made aware that the requirements of a condition restricting working hours and deliveries at the above residential development site were being breached.

"Despite warnings sent to the company and assurances this issue would not persist the Local Planning Authority has continued to receive complaints that the condition is being breached to the detriment of public amenity."

Last week Chris Heaton, Planning Development Manager at Bradford Council told a planning committee meeting that although enforcement notices are a last resort, over 150 were issued by the Council to developers and homeowners last year. He said: "The fact that we've issued 153 enforcement notices is worrying in a way, because it means these people don't wish to rectify what they have done. Each one of those notices is a serious contravention. It means that it is causing harm or annoyance to someone."

Councillor Adrian Farley (Lab, Keighley West) said: "The work had been going on outside the hours for some time. It is a combination of starting very early, things like wagons turning up at 7am, revving engines, being on site until late afternoon on Saturdays.

"It seems like it had been going on for most of the year. It is a quiet part of the district with a lot of retired people, so this work is causing significant concern. I have been very clear to Persimmon they need to work with residents."

One resident who lives near the site, Julie Ann Glentworth, said: "I've heard people there at 6.30am banging nails into the roof of a new house. You get skips delivered early in the morning, and workers are still here until 5pm on Saturday. There is lots of noise. It has been happening ever since they have been building."

She said in recent weeks, since the enforcement notice was served, the workers seem to be sticking to their conditions.

Earlier this year it emerged that Persimmon CEO Jeff Fairburn was paid a £45 million bonus.

A spokesperson for Persimmon Homes West Yorkshire, said: “Persimmon Homes was served with a Breach of Condition notice on July 19, in reference to Condition 14 of the planning permission for the development off Camborne Way in Keighley.

“Following close discussions with Bradford Council, we have taken appropriate measures to ensure continued compliance with this planning condition, as part of which the agreed construction activity hours were set out in the Construction Environmental Management Plan.

“We have every confidence that all construction work and deliveries will continue to abide by the agreed site working hours.

“We take our responsibility as a housebuilder extremely seriously and all contractors, sub-contractors and suppliers have been issued with a reminder of the approved working and delivery hours.”