FURIOUS residents hurled their council papers to the floor as plans to expand a bakery near their homes, were given the go-ahead.

There were angry scenes in Bexley's council chamber as the plans, which include four huge new silos, a massive bread cooler and an increase in heavy lorries at the British Bakeries plant in Belmont Road, Northumberland Heath, were approved by Bexley councillors.

"They have condemned us to years of misery," said Matt Matkins who lives opposite the bakery. "They have just written us off."

The application came up last month but the planning committee put off the decision so it could visit the site to see conditions. Residents had high hopes last week that the expansion would be rejected.

The bakery, which has already expanded several times, is to stop its distribution activities to concentrate only on baking bread 24 hours a day, every day of the year.

Residents objected to the expansion because it meant an increase from 156 to 222 articulated lorry movements every day, each weighing between 28 and 44 tonnes.

Local people believe the business has outgrown the Belmont Road land and want to see it relocated to a more suitable site in the borough.

Those who live nearby claim the huge bakery lorries are unsuitable for the narrow roads, wrecking the roadway and the kerbs because they have to mount the pavement and are causing cracks in houses.

Residents also gave evidence about noise from the bakery and vehicles and dust pollution.

Despite an impassioned plea on their behalf by ward councillor and current mayor Cllr Ann Lucas and a declaration by committee member Denis Daniels who said "I would hate to live there," the plans were passed.

"We were gobsmacked," said Mr Matkins. "We thought they were going to turn it down, but when we got to the meeting, it seemed to be a foregone conclusion.

"What have we got to do? When does it become a strong enough case to stop it?" he demanded.

But the action group set up to stop the expansion will fight on. "The bakery still has to get a permit from the Environment Agency," said Sue Matkins. "And we will monitor the bakery to make sure it keeps to all of its 21 planning conditions. We are not going away."

July 9, 2002 13:00