lorries causing chaos in Marchwood

To the dismay of Lib Dem County Councillors, David Harrison and Brian Dash, a report just published by Officers working for the Environment Department at Winchester has concluded that no further action needs to be taken in response to demands from villagers for a more comprehensive ban.

The report has only just been published following a single day survey of HGV movements undertaken in August 2006. On this particular day, a total of 1155 lorry movements were recorded at four sites around the village. It showed that 90% of lorry traffic using the Marchwood industrial estate, entered or exited using the Jacobs Gutter Lane/ A326 direction.

Officers are recommending that no further action be taken on the basis that existing arrangements are working effectively and that a ban on lorry traffic using Hythe Road might lead to more lorry traffic using Twiggs Lane and Staplewood Lane.

County Councillor for Marchwood, David Harrison says “I’m already furious that it has taken County Officers almost a year to produce a report. It is questionable whether a single day survey, undertaken during the summer holiday period provides reliable evidence on which to base conclusions. For my part, I still feel very strongly that we need, wherever possible, to ban lorry traffic from Hythe road. The bypass was built for this purpose and should be used. Large commercial vehicles and schoolchildren do not mix”.

Fellow Lib Dem County Councillor, Brian Dash, (Member for Hythe and Dibden), says “Doing nothing is not an acceptable option. There are scenes of absolute chaos in Hythe road when children are going to and from school with lorries passing parked cars, sometimes mounting pavements.”

The two campaigning Councillors have pledged to continue fighting for more restrictions on lorry traffic travelling into Marchwood village.