Planning permission has been granted for the retention of a cement plant despite protest from Acton neighbours who say it causes pollution.

The retrospective application to keep Hanson’s replacement plant in Horn Lane was accepted at Ealing Council’s planning committee on March 12, subject to 10 conditions.

A member of campaign group Stop Horn Lane Pollution and West Acton Residents’ Association, who asked not to be named, said the site is the ‘source of the worst pollution in London.’

He added: “We’ve consistently been complaining.

“Yet again, another disastrous and ill-informed planning decision has been foisted upon the residents of Acton by a Labour-controlled council.

He said the original cement plant which was given permission in 1965 was small but Hanson demolished that and applied for a new plant around 2006 before withdrawing their application and building a massive plant without permission in November 2011.

David Weeks, spokesman for Hanson, rejected the campaigners’ claims.

He said: “We did not think planning consent was needed but were happy to submit one and are pleased that it has been resolved.

“It’s a modern plant with acoustic shielding and compared to a lot of the other businesses around it has very little impact at all so I would strongly dispute the fact that it causes any significant environmental nuisance. “

“I do not believe it has any significant impact on local residents and I would be happy to show them around if they thought that was the case.”

MP for Acton and Ealing Central, Angie Bray, said: “What I find most strange is that Hanson has received no reprimand of any kind from Ealing Council despite flouting planning rules and rebuilding on their site without permission.

“There are one or two improvements on the site but residents have been left feeling vulnerable to the polluting operators.”

A spokesperson from the council said: “We are working with the Environment Agency to monitor local industrial sites in the borough in order to combat ongoing pollution issues.”

About 50 people took part in a street protest on March 8 in a bid to prevent permission being granted.

The conditions for the Hanson Cement Plant include noise mitigation measures, air quality monitors and restricting the development’s operating hours to between 7am and 6.30pm Monday to Friday, 7am to 5.30pm on Saturday and not at any time on Sundays or public holidays.