Lorries set to be banned in Cotswold beauty spots
HUNDREDS of lorries look set to be diverted through a notorious accident blackspot as part of a plan to keep HGVs out of the Cotswolds.
Gloucestershire County Council looks likely to implement measures designed to stop lorries weighing more than 7.5 tonnes from being driven through much of the Cotswold Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.
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Although the plans have been welcomed in some picturesque villages plagued by HGVs, their respite comes at the expense a bottleneck at Nettleton Bottom and the Air Balloon roundabout on the A417.
The authority's management zone, proposed by its traffic regulation committee, would be brought in at the end of the year if approved by cabinet.
Except for deliveries, lorries weighing more than 7.5 tonnes will be banned from using the A46 between Stroud and Brockworth, the A4173 between Pitchcombe and Brookthorpe, the B4008 between Stonehouse and Hardwicke, and the A435 between Seven Springs and Cirencester, as short cuts.
It means an extra 34 lorries a day are forecast to file through the Air Balloon junction and Nettleton Bottom on the A417, with 162 more on the A419 at Stonehouse and 68 more at Stroud.
Paula Hewitt, manager of the Air Balloon, said: "Lorries do cause a lot of congestion here. There are quite a lot of accidents and it's always lorries.
"We have hundreds of lorries go past every day. The council has put a monitoring station here, so they are concerned about pollution."
Mike Farmer, Midlands and western regional director of the Road Haulage Association told councillors at Shire Hall there were too many holes in the £500,000 scheme to make it work.
He said: "What concerns us is that the reductions envisaged are, in the words of your own report, 'modest'. We don't believe that stands up to expenditure of £500,000.
"Three-fifths of lorries will still be in this area quite legitimately.
"Public perception will be that it's not working."
He said taking HGVs off the A46 and A435 would increase pressure on the Air Balloon roundabout near Birdlip, and questioned the police's ability to enforce the zone.
He said: "Something like 100 lorries a day go down the B4008.
"If we cannot enforce one road, how on earth can you enforce a whole zone?
"The police have no sanction against foreign vehicles in this zone either, short of arresting them and taking them to court."
Police traffic manager Clive Fluck backed the scheme but said the force's response would be reactive to complaints from the public, admitting there would be no extra money to police it.
He said: "We have a finite resource and we will respond to complaints."
The restrictions could see the county's CO2 emissions rise by 0.5 per cent because of vehicles making longer journeys, but councillors believed it was a price worth paying because of the impact large lorries have on villages.
The zone could cut lorry trips through Painswick by up to 40 per cent and by 30 per cent between Seven Springs and Cirencester.
If implemented, the council would install restriction signs on the roads and notify major haulage companies.
Coun Shaun Parsons (C. South Cotswold) said: "All the parishes in my area strongly welcome this proposal.
"They are concerned though, about what can be done about traffic being diverted when there is a jam at Nettleton Bottom. At the moment, they go through the Duntisbournes and other villages."
Painswick Parish Council chairman Terry Parker added: "The throughput of HGVs has a detrimental effect on the environment of Painswick, and those living on the A4173 at Edge."
14 Comments
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by Alex, Selsley East
Sunday, November 23 2008, 2:17PM
“I live on Selsley Hill (B4066) and have written to the local Highways auhority and rang them several times about the size and scale of lorries driving on the pavement at speed through the village but never got a reply, so I would welcome any restrictions across the County as a whole. I own a Gloucestershire based transport company so have some insight regarding the problems.”
by David Broad, Chedworth
Sunday, October 19 2008, 1:29AM
“This is a bad scheme not thought through properly.
Lorries delivering or collecting within the Zone are still allowed so
Apart from the A435 which is perfectly capable of handling 44T HGVs and does take M4 to Cheltenham traffic, the Order will have little effect, the Lorries getting stuck will be delivering within the zone and will continue to get stuck and clog up the roads.
It is a disgraceful waste of money if it does indeed cost £ 500 000 but even at £1000 its still a waste of public money which is desperately needed for
Ambulances Hospitals Plastic recycling etc.”
by Union Man, Kemble.
Sunday, October 19 2008, 1:19AM
“Come on Councillors
There is a need to reduce Co2 and you propose sending Lorries on a great big detour to save them using the A435 a perfectly good 44 Tonne HGV road up the Churn Valley.
Which Planet are the proposers of this plan living on.
Get educated.”
by John Cordwell, Gloucestershire
Thursday, October 16 2008, 8:28AM
“The Citizen report failed to mention that the committee agreed the recommendation only by 4-3. The intention to reduce lorries allowed on three "A" roads in the area to 7.5 tonnes gross weight rather than a more sensible 18 tonnes that I proposed was simply to increase the numbers diverted so that the £500k cost of the order plus ongoing costs could be claimed to be value for money. How independent could the committee's recommendation be when four of its members have signed up to a manifesto commitment to introduce the ban?”
by James, Cotswolds
Wednesday, October 15 2008, 9:13PM
“Somebody at the council gets paid far to much money to come up with these stupid ideas.
GCC state they are monitering the traffic but have they forecast the impact on the haulage industry??? I very much doubt it!!!
Once again the haulage industry comes last.”
by mike, cheltenham
Wednesday, October 15 2008, 4:33PM
“As a HGV driver myself, I find half of these comments pathetic! HGVs don¿t pull out in front of people on roundabouts without looking. Car drivers, drive round them too fast and expect a 44 tonne vehicle, as long as 50 foot to pull out as fast as their little car.
If you open your eyes next time it happens and stop driving with tunnel vision, you will more than likely find the lorry has already committed before you have entered the roundabout. Basic physics!!
As for putting everything on smaller vehicles.. well fine but remember a artic carries as much as 44 vans, so would you rather have one lorry or 44 vans and pay around 20 times as much transportation costs for your goods?
As for using the A40 through Cheltenham, then your putting lorries in a urban environment when it can be avoided. The traffic is awful along here as it is. Its daft, that to satisfy a handful of NIMBYs who thought their million pound house in the countryside would be a quiet retreat with no traffic, the council is even considering it. If it was a heavily populated road then I could understand it but obviously some councillors live off the above roads.”
by long distance traveller, London
Wednesday, October 15 2008, 11:33AM
“I agree - I travel from London on a Friday evening via the M4 and A419/417 and there is always a traffic jam on the dual carriageway before Nettleton Bottom which continues on to the Air Balloon.
Can't the traffic destined for Oxford and all points along the way be diverted along the A40 out of Gloucester via Cheltenham - oh yes roadworks on the A40 in Cheltenham! It seems wherever you want to go these days there is something causing delay.
At the moment I am having to travel via the Severn Bridge to avoid the A48/A40 jams into Gloucester - which had added an extra hour to my journey time plus £5.3 to cross the bridge before I even contemplate the M4 into London!”
by Dinsdale, Gloucester
Wednesday, October 15 2008, 10:52AM
“Just seems like the GCC has bowed to pressure from the people who live in the pretty Cotswold villages again. Keep out the lorrys and keep out any housing developments!”
by Chris, Gloucester
Wednesday, October 15 2008, 9:50AM
“So, plod tells the Hungarian juggernaut driver it's a 7.5 tonne limit on the counry lane where his sat nav just sent him. Yes that will work out fine won't it, problem solved?
I think not.
Limit truck size nationally and get much more freight back on the railways. Big job but the sooner we start this initiative the sooner we make some headway in reducing all congestion.”
by space, Glos
Wednesday, October 15 2008, 8:56AM
“Another case of Not in My Back Yard. As much as people don't want HGV's going past thier properties they are content to have these vehicles going through other villages in the Cotswolds. What about the detrimental affect on those peoples lives and environment.
Whether we like it or not these HGV are supplying businesses within the area which contributes to the local economy. Painswick and all the other NIMBY villages seem to want to to take the positives about our road network but not the negatives.”