'New access road into village could reduce lorries' impact'

A Whittington businessman has suggested that building a private access road from Swinesherd Way could reduce the impact of heavy lorries travelling through the village.

The issue of the lorries was raised during a meeting, held via Zoom, of Whittington Parish Council.

Parish councillor Susan MacLeod said a neighbour had expressed concern that the footings of their cottage could be damaged by the weight of the lorries passing by.

Mrs MacLeod said it was the “sheer size” of the big lorries that were a concern, adding: “It’s not so much the small lorries that come for deliveries.”

Nick Hodgetts, who owns Whittington-based Croome Cuisine, speaking during the meeting, suggested that an access road from Swinesherd Way could alleviate the problem.

He added, however, that he did not believe vehicles going to and from his business were causing the problem, saying that waste collection, furniture delivery and household oil delivery lorries passed through the village.

He went on: “It’s not our lorries that block the highway – it’s the parked cars that block the highway.

“It’s not our lorries causing the problem – it’s the parked cars reducing the highway width.”

He added: “If the road is blocked I think it’s up to the residents to unblock it. Highways, fundamentally, are for traffic.”

He added: “It would make our life a lot easier if there was a possibility of putting in a private road from Swinesherd.

“It won’t get rid of your oil delivery and your waste removal.

“I live here and I love the ruralness of it.”

He said: “I think we’re all on the same side on this but the resolution has to be some sort of a compromise.”

The parish council’s chairman, Steve Burrows, said: “I would like to see some evidence that there’s been some structural damage and I don’t think that’s part of the parish council’s task to get that.

“I think that’s the householders’ concern to get some evidence of that.”

He added that pressing for an access road from Swinesherd Way was “a fairly major undertaking on the basis of a couple of issues being raised.”

Residents with concerns over potential damage they believed was being caused to their homes would be invited to submit evidence to the parish council.

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