With fellow Conservative candidate Doreen Engall on the A163 into Bubwith The ERYC proposed weight limit from Breighton Airfield Northwards would have a detrimental impact on our Howdenshire communities with HGVs that are prevented from travelling from Howden being re-routed through the villages of Bubwith, Foggathorpe, HOSM and Spaldington. It seems crazy to pass on the problems of heavy lorries passing through Howden onto other communities with little thought for the consequences. It is folly to even consider this when the Police, who have more experience than most, don’t even support this proposal.
The problem with HGVs in Howden appears to consist of those vehicles travelling to the industrial estate at Breighton Airfield and those using the B1228 as a short cut to York.
The option (which is also on the table) is to surely construct a Northern Link around Howden to take the traffic either directly from Selby Road to the West or from the HOSM Road from the East. This would not only take HGVs out of the town but would also allow a direct route to the proposed Press Association car park planned for the North of Howden, removing even more traffic from Howden’s Flatgate. If a link is constructed to join Selby Road to Howden’s Station Road a further advantage would be in the road actually shielding Howden from the flooding we have seen coming from the North in the recent past, and which is predicted to become worse.
To reroute HGVs through rural villages not only passes the problem from one community onto others but has a detrimental effect on both the businesses who have to foot the cost of extra fuel costs and increased travelling times, and the wider community with the increased emissions associated with lorries travelling the extra distances.
2 comments:
Cllr Engall seconded the original Howden Weight Limit proposal so its a bit rich for her to now cry foul. Ask for the minutes from ERYC!
Cllr Engall assures me that this is not the case and quite the opposite... This would appear to be confirmed by the article in the Goole Times of 15th April 2007.
"Hopes of seeing the number of lorries passing through Howden reduced were dashed last week when a decision on plans for a weight limit was deferred.
A report to last Thursday's East Riding of Yorkshire Council cabinet meeting recommended that a weight limit of 7.5 tonnes be implemented in an area bordered by the A163, the B1228 Station Road, the A614 and the river Derwent.
The limit could have led to a reduction of up to 40 per cent of HGVs on Flatgate, Hull Road and Station Road.
However, Howdenshire ward councillors expressed concern about the validity of the last traffic survey, which was carried out in 2003.
In particular, Cllr Doreen Engall told councillors that a weight restriction around Howden would have a far greater effect on villages such as Spaldington and Holme upon Spalding Moor and would be particularly dangerous for Holme primary school on the A163.
She also pointed out Humberside Police 'robustly objected' to the 2003 proposals.
It was agreed that the matter be deferred for six months for more traffic counts."
Needless to say I will check this - but my position on this remains the same.
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