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Fears over safety at proposed site access
THE MAIN access to Thakeham's proposed landfill site already suffers more than double the amount of accidents seen on a typical B-road, according to a recent safety report.
Campaigners say this proves increasing traffic on the B2133 will be 'inherently dangerous' and have called on the county council to stop the plans.
Thakeham Village Action commissioned the report by Road Safety Engineering and Traffic Management consultancy, TMS Coventry.
The group says the report has confirmed the fears of the local communities that the roads are too dangerous and narrow for lorries.
Jean Locker, spokesperson for Thakeham Village Action said: "This data proves that the B2133 is not a suitable road for large lorries to access the Laybrook site.
"I'm one of those people who cycle from Ashington to Spear Hill.
"I dread to think that I'll end up under the wheels of a rubbish lorry going to Laybrook dump."
National data indicates that on most rural B-class roads some 0.42 injury collisions can be expected on each kilometre each year.
The TMS study has revealed that on the B2133 between the A24 at Ashington and the B2139 Coolham Road the collision rate is more than double at 0.95 collisions per kilometre per year.
Mrs Locker argued: "Add several hundred lorries a day and the rate will go up much higher."
And she stressed that these were not just statistics, the figures were potentially people's lives being wrecked for ever.
TMS report that the permitted width of lorries is 2.5 metres and if a lorry has wing mirrors on long maximum-sized vehicles this can add up to half a metre to each side of the vehicle.
So they believe that for two lorries to pass each other safely, the carriageway must be wider than seven metres.
Mrs Locker added: "TMS reports that the B2133 is rarely more than 6 metres wide. Outside West Wolves riding centre it is only 5.1 metres wide with no footpath. You can see in the photo (see page 10), taken on the B2133 at its southern end, that the two lorries' wing mirrors overlap. This road is simply not wide enough for the large rubbish lorries that would go to a landfill tip."
The road is also a popular cycle, pedestrian and equestrian route.
Liz Gilpin who lives on the B2133 regularly walks along it to Ashington Village, she said: "The other day three heavy goods vehicles were travelling along the road.
"One had to put its brakes on hard and the other two had to slow down right against our wall, it was seriously horrendous to watch.
"We have lived here for ten years and on several occasions I have nearly been in a serious collision just getting in and out of my drive.
"If it goes ahead with 200 lorries travelling up and down every day it will make it worse and destroy the environment and the peace and quiet."
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Thursday 09 February 2012
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