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Villagers' fears over lorries
LARGE lorries thundering through the village is a prospect filling Ashington residents with dread.
Residents warn a landfill at Thakeham will have a big impact on the village as up to 200 extra lorries a day will be travelling to and from the site at Laybrook Brickworks in Goose Green Lane.
The concerns have been raised as the County Times continues its 'End this Landfill Lunacy' campaign and as the battle against the dump gathers momentum.
The majority of the lorries will use the hazardous and twisting B2133 Billingshurst Road to transport their load but the fear is many will try and cut through the village from the A24.
Ashington Parish Council chairman Karen Hayler said this week: "We are expecting approximately 100 lorries a day to and from the site and in our experience vehicles travelling up the A24 from the south are often directed through Ashington village by their satellite navigation systems rather than around the village on the A24.
"This could mean a significant number of lorries coming through the village over speed humps, causing noise, dirt and vibration to nearby houses."
She added: "At the very least we feel the application should consider funding a variety of measures to stop lorries coming through the village.
"It is not acceptable to expect Ashington residents to suffer in this way.
"We all know lorries do not use approved lorry routes as many cut through Water Lane in Wiston even with a width limit in place."
Campaigners have warned there could be one lorry every three minutes travelling to or from the site – forming a convoy set to last 21 years, the timespan of the landfill site.
This is on top of the lorries which travel to and from the Ibstock brickworks which will continue at the site and which has approximately 50 lorries visiting the site each day.
The main through road in Ashington, London Road, has speed bumps along its stretch which is already regarded by some residents as a nuisance.
A London Road resident said: "If these lorries start coming through this village and over the speed humps I will make a complaint to the county council for vibration damage.
"Unless steps are taken to stop them coming through this village there will be a few people living next to the speed bumps that will be up in arms.
"We get some lorries mistakenly coming through Ashington and the noise and vibrations as they come over the bumps is horrendous.
"There needs to be signage and traffic measures like pinch points to stop this happening.
"As residents, it is not fair if we have to take action because lorries are coming through the village."
She added: "There is a lot of lorries already using the A24 let alone when this site is up and running and I am starting to wonder about the safety of the A24."
Applicant Cory Environmental has said it will ensure the large vehicles travel by the preferred lorry route and not via the village centre. A spokesperson for Cory warned if any lorries were found to be driving on the wrong route action would be taken.
However Thakeham Village Action (TVA) has argued this is not good enough.
"We can already imagine that many lorries will not travel from the A24. Such guidelines are notorious for being ignored," said TVA's spokesperson, Jean Locker.
A public meeting organised by Ashington Residents Association is being held at the Methodist Church Hall, London Road, on Tuesday August 18 at 7.30pm.
Cory Environmental will be on hand to answer any questions.
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Thursday 09 February 2012
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