As the Northern Echo reports, a layby on the 688 in Tursdale has been closed by the local council amid complaints from residents that began not long after an Amazon distribution centre opened further up the road.
The local paper claimed that a “deluge of human faeces, toilet paper and bottles of urine in the layby and adjacent field had become a daily occurrence after residents claimed Amazon moved onto the estate.”
Dave Wafer, head of transport and contract services at Durham County Council, told the Northern Echo:
“Local residents have previously expressed concern around a high number of heavy goods vehicles using the layby at Tursdale and associated anti-social behaviour. We therefore consulted on a traffic regulation order to ban all vehicles from using the layby. Local residents and local councillors supported this order. Following just one objection, the matter was considered by our Highways Committee in September.”
Meanwhile, a spokesperson for Amazon told the newspaper:
“Amazon strives to be a good neighbour and we take this matter very seriously. Any disruption caused by drivers does not reflect the high standards we have for our carrier partners and their drivers. We have informed our carrier partners about the concerns raised and continue to reinforce and remind them of the correct driver behaviour guidelines. We expect all of our carriers to comply with these guidelines.”
The situation is all-to- familiar for many lorry drivers working in the UK, who already have to deal with a lack of facilities as well as parking places.
There is a shell-garage with bathroom facilities and HGV parking about a 3 mile drive from the aforementioned layby, although it isn’t immediately clear how often the parking area is full.