A dedicated team looking at the noise, dust and traffic impacts of basement developments in Westminster has been set up.

The Subterranean Squad was launched on September 1 and is the first port of call for people who are affected by the building of basement developments.

The service is the first of its kind in the country, and will be funded by a levy on those building new basements, ensuring the resources are in place to actively monitor and enforce against un-neighbourly builders.

Cllr Robert Davis, MBE DL, Westminster City Council deputy leader and cabinet member for the built environment, said: “We are sticking up for local residents, many of whom have found the explosion of basement development in recent years hellish.

“It is right that those who want to build basements should contribute to this new service, which will work to help mitigate the negative impacts.

Over the last five years Westminster City Council has received on average 150 applications a year and has seen a trend towards more ‘iceberg’ basements where homeowners dig down two or more storeys.

New rules include planning controls limiting basements to a single storey and not more than 50% of total garden land .