ELDERLY residents of Ladyplace Court are in uproar about a ventilation unit placed in their communal roof garden by the Pizza Express restaurant opening below.

They are worried that noise and vibration will ruin the peace and tranquillity of the roof garden, the adjoining communal lounge and three surrounding residential flats.

The unit equipment has been delivered to the Ladyplace roof garden, but has not yet been installed.

One worried householder, who is directly affected by the unit, said: ÒThis thing is 15 or 20 feet from my bedroom window. I donÕt think anyone would want something like this in their back garden.

ÒIÕm furious and everyone else here is kicking up a fuss about it. We werenÕt told about it, we didnÕt receive any notification whatsoever, they just lifted it on to the roof with a crane in December.

ÒThey said itÕs a ÔRolls RoyceÕ model and it hardly makes a sound, but have you ever heard a silent Rolls Royce? I certainly havenÕt.

ÒWhile the restaurant has been being fitted downstairs weÕve had three months of drilling and banging and heaven knows what going on, but at least we knew that this was going to end in three months. This thing will be going all the time.

ÒThe restaurant will be active from 8 am to 11 pm, and this thing will be going for all of that time, if not longer.Ó

He feels that as the restaurant runs right underneath the building, and all the way back to the wall of the underground car park, it would be better to feed the ventilation unit through that wall and place the machine in the corner of the car park where it wouldnÕt take up any space or bother anyone.

ÒThis is another case of money-grabbing people thinking that old people donÕt matter. We wonÕt be able to sell these properties now, but they wonÕt care about that,Ó he said.

Jean Hole, the daughter of another resident, said: ÒThis patio and lounge are the only communal areas that the elderly residents have to enjoy, and both will be severely affected by this huge unit.

ÒWhat right have Pizza Express got to put this monstrosity here? The ventilation of the restaurant is their problem, not the problem of Ladyplace residents.Ó

She too feels the unit could be put in the car park.

ÒMy main concern is the noise from the equipment, but there are other issues as well, such as smells, vibration, and the fact that it takes up too much room and is unsightly.Ó

While actually welcoming the opening of Pizza Express in the Market Square, Mrs Hole points out that the flats above are not cheap. ÒThey cost around £120,000 for a 99-year lease. Maintenance and council tax has to be paid on top of this, and for that kind of money, the residents should at least have a say,Ó she said.

Mrs Hole is in the process of enlisting help, including environmental health officers, who are already on the case.

Barry Loke from East Hampshire District CouncilÕs environmental health department, said: ÒThe residents of Ladyplace Court can be assured that Pizza Express will not be allowed to install any equipment on the roof terrace that will cause a statutory nuisance. Also, Pizza Express is extremely keen to meet with the approval of the residents.

ÒA meeting took place between the relevant parties on Monday. Pizza Express is in a very tricky situation, but it is bending over backwards to find a satisfactory alternative location for the machinery.

ÒWe deal with aspects of noise, vibration and any smells arising from the unit, but we are not responsible for things like visual impact which falls to the planning department.

ÒIt may take some time to find a solution, but the wheels are in motion for progress. Pizza Express has submitted an alternative proposal which we at the environmental health department are currently considering.

ÒThe plan submitted could mean that the restaurant may be allowed to open before a final solution is applied, but this will be under the strict scrutiny of environmental health. If this was to happen, the equipment would be heavily attenuated, and relocation would take place as soon as possible.Ó

Rob Montgomery, a spokesman for Pizza Express, said: ÒEvery effort is being made to blend in with the local community and to ensure that any changes we make are suitable for everyone involved. Dialogue has been established with a range of people including the local authorities, and we are confident that an amicable solution will be found.

ÒIt is quite usual that things like this happen which delay the installation of a new premises. For example, something like a mediaeval well could be found in the process of building work, and we are required to stop what we are doing and treat it appropriately which delays the whole process.

ÒWe cannot say at this time how long it will be before the new restaurant opens. We have to accommodate everyoneÕs views before we decide to go ahead, and this may take time. The last thing we want to do is to upset the local residents who we hope will be eating our pizzas in the near future.Ó

Pete McCallum, director of Downland Retirement Management which runs Ladyplace Court, said: ÒA lease granted by the developer, Cathedral Homes, gave the shop tenant, Pizza Express, the right to install ventilation equipment at Ladyplace Court.

ÒWe do not know when the unit will become operational. The local authority has stated that the unit would be noisier than we were advised would be the case. They have therefore banned its use for the time being.

ÒWe understand that the local authority will not allow the unit to be used until a noise level acceptable to them is reached. This is an action we fully support.

ÒResidents were not informed or asked because the right to place ventilation equipment at Ladyplace was already a condition of the lease, although we accept that residents should have been provided with more information at an earlier stage.

ÒAll parties are working positively to find a suitable location for the ventilation equipment at Ladyplace Court. We hope the matter can be resolved shortly.Ó