Angry residents have criticised Lambeth Council for its "bad faith" in proposing to keep a bin lorry base in a West Norwood residential area, despite a promise it would stay for just two years.

Residents living near the Vale Street recycling depot say they are subjected to constant noise and disruption by dustcarts that speed up and down their narrow streets from 6am each day, causing “traffic chaos”.

With a sports ground and primary school next to the site, they say to house a fleet of more than 20 vehicles there is “totally inappropriate”.

Lambeth Council promised residents in 2007 they would only use the area of land next to the depot for two years while they sought a permanent site for the vehicles.

But last month it submitted a planning application to extend the use of the site for a further four years.

The application has been met with widespread objection by residents, local councillors, and Dulwich and West Norwood MP Tessa Jowell.

It is believed more than 100 letters of objection have been received by the council.

Rosendale Road resident Joe Partridge, 67, said: “We all feel let down. This application was passed on the promise we would only have the depot for two years.

“Now we have been repaid in bad faith by the council and it seems we will have to put up with these juggernauts for another four years.”

A Lambeth Council spokesman said while the local authority had been working hard to identify a suitable permanent new site, a number of major changes to the national waste agenda means building a new site could potentially be a waste of money should more changes need to be made.

He added: “The waste industry is changing rapidly and there is now a pressing need to consider issues such as increased recycling rates and initiatives such as providing energy from household and business waste.”

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