BY EMILY ROGERS

A recycling company is threatening legal action after Ealing Council ordered it stop operating in a scrapyard in Park Royal.

The council claims that Websters Scrapyard in Victoria Avenue has been used by recycling company Quattro illegally for six months without the right licence and has created misery for people living nearby.

Councillors on the Planning East Committee agreed on Wednesday last week to an enforcement notice ordering the company to stop using the site for demolition and recycling within two months.

And meanwhile, it must restrict its operating hours to between 8am and 6pm on Monday to Friday and between 8am and 1pm on Saturday.

'This is a very unusual step for the planning committee, but residents nearby have endured months of misery,' said committee member Councillor Philip Portwood.

'Seven days a week, from early morning to late at night, they suffered noise, dust and banging and its been terrible for them.'

More than 60 letters of complaint and a petition with more than 100 signatures were received from residents living nearby, who had been complaining about noise, dust and pollution since January and noise surveys carried out from homes in nearby Wells Road confirmed disturbance.

Quattro was granted permission to use the site to process waste metal in 1993 but was refused permission to expand its materials to include soils, bricks and concrete in November last year.

It reapplied for permission in February this year and also asked for permission to crush materials and store track waste from London Underground overnight and to erect a 27ft acoustic barrier, but was again unsuccessful.

Quattro spokesman Andrew Muir said the company was considering legal action against the enforcement.

'Our use of the site is legitimate and lawful and we don't require planning permission for it,' he said.

He said although the company no longer sorted only metal, the original use it was given permission for hadn't changed.

'Our work is consistent with the national policy in recycling.

'We have been operating in the borough for 10 years and this action will threaten jobs.'

The company has the right to appeal against the enforcement order but not against the restriction of its operating hours.

The council says it will vigorously defend its decision against Quattro's accusations.