Residents in a West Midlands town are in uproar over a 'disrespectful' £2.5million heat pump which has made their lives 'unbearable'.
Dudley College of Technology installed the heat pump as part of a Net Zero drive - but it didn't take out planning permission, leading to dozens of complaints from neighbours about the constant "humming noise" coming from the site.
Some residents say the noise is so disruptive they may be forced to leave their homes entirely - but the council doesn't agree.
Almost 30 objection letters were submitted to Dudley Council, with locals comparing their once-peaceful residential area to living on an industrial estate.
Dudley College of Technology installed the heat pump as part of a Net Zero drive
DUDLEY COLLEGE OF TECHNOLOGY
Despite the illegal installation, the college has now gained retrospective permission from the authority's planning committee.
The college rushed through construction amid fears of losing Department for Net Zero funding, which had to be spent by March 2025.
Estates director Steve Johnson told the planning committee: "The college openly admits it has not followed the process, we are extremely apologetic for that. It is not our normal behaviour."
The all-electric heat pumps are intended to replace gas-powered boilers and water heaters on the college's Broadway campus.
And it aligns with Labour's nationwide heat pump push - which aims to phase out gas boiler sales completely by 2035.
MORE NEIGHBOUR ROWS:
The college installed the heat pumps as part of Labour's nationwide push for the technology
PA
Councillor Karl Denning told The Telegraph that neighbours have reported "constant noise" from the heat pumps, saying it is "like an extractor fan you have in the bathroom, just a lot louder."
One resident described being woken at 6.30am by the noise from the heat pumps.
Another local, who has lived in the area for 43 years, wrote that they would be "unable to carry on living here with the disruption going on a daily basis."
A third resident explained they had paid an extra £10,000 for their house specifically because of the peaceful location.
"I work from home and will not bear the noise all day. This construction will cause mental health issues and disturb the quality of life for the neighbours," they added.
One frustrated neighbour accused the college of showing "no respect for their neighbours" or "local government rules and regulations."
The council's planning committee heard that the heat pumps are enclosed by metal and protected by a four-metre high acoustic fence.
Planning officers deemed noise assessment results satisfactory, concluding the impact on nearby residents was "acceptable".
The project was described in planning papers as "an integral part of the college's ongoing decarbonisation aspirations".
Despite residents' objections, councillors approved the retrospective application.
However, they attached additional conditions requiring regular noise level monitoring over the next six months.
The decision means the college will not have to dismantle the £2.5m system, despite having breached planning regulations during its installation.
Neil Thomas, Dudley College of Technology's chief executive and principal, said: "The college first began discussions with Dudley MBC over planning permission for the new heating system in January this year, submitting our formal application in March.
"Throughout this time, the college has worked closely with officers and local residents to ensure it complied with environmental requirements.
"To this end, it has commissioned independent ecology and noise consultants to ensure it developed its site to their highest standard.
"Delays in the formal planning process, the need to be ready for winter and funding imperatives meant there was an overlap in the decommissioning of our gas boilers and the first use of the new system, pending planning approval.
"We accept this was not the right order of events but given all of the work we had put in to safeguard the site would be planning compliant and the need to ensure we supplied our students with a suitably warm learning environment, we proceeded.
"We believe Dudley College is one of the first Further Education colleges in the country to move to the most sustainable source of energy for heating systems in its oldest and least efficient buildings.
"We hope to support other colleges and local businesses to embrace such technologies, playing their part in tackling the climate emergency and keeping us all on track towards our Net Zero goals.
"We continue to welcome anyone onto our site who would like to monitor the system for themselves and to see how our careful implementation has delivered a scheme that exceeds expectations in terms of noise levels and environmental impact."
