Residents erupted in fury after two developers gatecrashed a public meeting intended to allow them to speak freely about M-Sport plans.

The meeting was held by Allerdale council to allow people living close to a proposed test track at Dovenby the chance to discuss noise concerns.

Around 40 people had turned up for the meeting in response to a letter that stated: “M-Sport and/or their representatives have not been invited to attend.”

When it was discovered that two employees of Northern Development - the company responsible for handling the development were present, they were asked to leave.

Residents raised questions on issues such as monitoring noise levels, how Allerdale council would ensure that M-Sport complies with the agreed decibel levels, siting of noise receptors and concerns over shiftworkers in the village losing sleep.

However, 55 minutes into the meeting, two Northern Development employees were spotted at the back of the room, including managing director Martyn Boak.

The room erupted with residents questioning who they were and why they were there.

Mr Boak said Northern Development were there to observe and felt they could attend as it was a public meeting.

Chairman of Bridekirk and Dovenby council, Simon Dumbill, who was chairing the meeting, said: “The invitation was for residents only.” And parish clerk, Deborah Cosgrove added: “It was clear on the invitation that no representatives from M-Sport or Northern Developments were invited so that residents could make their views known without any backlash.”

Some residents shouted: “You’re not invited, you’re not welcome, please leave.”

This led to Simon Dumbill asking the pair to leave the meeting.

The subject of the meeting, a noise management plan, will ensure that noise from the track complies with community noise limit levels in the area once it is in use.

Simon Sharp, planning and building control manager from Allerdale council, said: “The letter on our website from Northern Developments contains some comments and inaccuracies. We have a number of concerns about the data supplied by M-Sport. We have an independent consultant analysing the data and has already fed back queries about the data.”

He added: “Going forward a report will go to the development panel with recommendations from officers. We will publish interim comments from the independent noise consultant and our response to Northern Development’s letter which we will clarify remarks in that letter and queries and concerns already expressed to date. We will write a response to Northern Developments in due course.” Allerdale councils’ development panel will meet on February 11 at 1pm.

News & Star has approached Northern Development for a comment.