New lorries fear in Wharf Road (From Thurrock Gazette)

New lorries fear in Wharf Road

7:20am Thursday 25th October 2012 in News

MORE lorries could soon be trundling down Wharf Road in Stanford-le-Hope, to the dismay of residents.

Thurrock Council’s planning committee will decide tonight (Thursday) whether or not to allow part of a vacant site in the road’s Stanhope Industrial Park to be used for open storage.

Officers recommended the application, by Hills Building Group and Mersea Homes, for approval, in a move which is sure to enrage residents, who are already at loggerheads with company Squibb Demolition, which currently operates out of the park.

Residents are angry at the amount and timings of lorries going to and from the industrial site.

The council has received 13 letters of objection to the latest planning application, which could lead to 72 more HGV movements every day.

One resident, who did not want to be named, said: “Wharf Road has already large amounts of HGVs travelling down it to the industrial park.

“This will undoubtedly mean more large vehicles, possibly HGVs, will be travelling to and from the site to collect whatever products are being stored there.

“Wharf Road is just not big enough and was certainly not built to accommodate this kind of traffic.

“Wharf Road is full of Victorian and Edwardian properties, the older part of Stanford-le-Hope.

“The council should be trying to preserve the town’s history rather than allowing it to be slowly destroyed by the increased volume and weight of vehicles travelling through Stanford and then allowed to use Wharf Road.”

A previous permission granted for the site in 2004 allowed for up to 72 daily HGV movements, something the current applicant has said it would be happy to abide by.

The council’s report said: “The applicant has indicated it is willing to accept a condition to cap vehicle movements at the level previously approved.

“This would give the council control over the vehicle movements to and from the site – it wuold ensure previously approved traffic levels are not exceeded.”