Housing development could be halted over dust

A council says it is considering measures to stop a housing development being built because of the dust it is creating.

People in Heybridge, near Maldon in Essex, have been complaining about the issue since work started on the Persimmon Homes development in April.

Maldon District Council leader Simon Morgan said the authority was ready to enforce "notices to cease" the construction should the developer "fail to meet its obligations".

A Persimmon spokesperson apologised for the disruption but said conversations with neighbours had "reassured" them "things have improved" because of measures workers had put in place.

The developer said it had used mist cannons to try reducing the spread of the dust.

But Morgan said he was "extremely disappointed that despite the best efforts of council officers, Persimmon had failed to take all necessary steps to reduce and monitor the impact of dust".

"It is simply unacceptable for residents to be left experiencing these conditions by a prominent developer that has allowed the situation to reach this point," he added.

The council originally refused the planning application for the development, for 281 homes, but the Planning Inspectorate overturned that decision in March 2025 following an appeal.

Barry Few, a plasterer, told the BBC he suffered with heart issues and had been wheezing more than usual since the work started at Broad Street Green Road.

The 58-year-old said he was not opening windows because of the dust, which made living with the heat "unbearable".

Sandra Caller, 58, said her grandchildren - two of whom have asthma - were not visiting as regularly.

"The conservatory is brown, the plants are brown and if you stomp on the ground, you get a puff of dust coming up," she said.

The dust can also be seen lining window sills and cars.

Sheila Childs said she could see the dust as it came over from the building site when sitting in her garden.

"It comes across in waves, you can't see across the garden, the kitchen floor is like you're treading on grit all of the time," the 78-year-old described.

Jensen Parker said he felt like a "prisoner in his own home".

"It's very difficult to do the washing because it's covered in dust," said the 53-year-old supermarket worker.

"I get up in the morning and I cough a bit - we have endured an awful lot in the last few months."

A Persimmon spokesperson said the Health and Safety Executive had advised that no further action was needed after the watchdog visited the site last week.

More than 20,000 litres of water was being delivered every day to wet the ground and supply misting cannons, they added.

"We are making every effort to manage dust," they said.

"We recognise that there has been an impact on local residents and apologise for any disruption caused."

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