A plan to build a lorry park with capacity for 75 HGVs near the town of Cirencester is in doubt after a flurry of objections from local residents.
According to the local press, Zesta Planning is proposing to build a HGV parking facility on a site in Cirencester located at Ermin Way Farm off Gloucester Road, by Stratton House.
The UK is in need of lorry parks with decent facilities, as has been well documented.
However, a number of local residents are unhappy with the plans. They argue that the truck stop will see lorries cut through Daglingworth, causing increased pollution and traffic congestion. There are also concerns about light pollution and the loss of a greenfield site.
The proposed location near the A417, M5 and M4 makes the lorry park practical for lorry drivers. The planning application to the council has nonetheless only received one supporting comment. By comparison, there are 70 comments against the plan.
Meanwhile, residents in a Leicestershire village have also taken aim at HGVs. As the Leicester Mercury reports, protesters in Desford have successfully lobbied against a Poundstretcher warehouse being allowed to extend its operating hours.
Poundstretcher had hoped to be allowed to operate HGV deliveries up to 11pm on weekdays, up to 6pm on Saturdays and from 9am to 1pm on Sundays.
However, residents said the HGVs moving in and out the warehouse were congesting the main roads in the area and causing noise pollution. Councillors took a similar view, and said the extra hours requested were at times when people could expect less traffic on the roads.
The two aforementioned cases are one of a number of examples of the obstacles local authorities in England appear to be placing in front of drivers, hauliers and logistics companies.
Since the turn of the year, a truckwash has been denied permission to expand, a town has banned HGVs, and an extremely unpopular lorry parking ban has been implemented in Kent. Moreover, London’s new Direct Vision Standard will make life more difficult for a number of hauliers when it comes into force next month.
Photo credit: David Dixon / Wikimedia Commons