Villagers’ anger at quarry lorry route (From York Press)

Villagers’ anger at Wath Quarry lorry route

1:44pm Wednesday 28th March 2012 in News By Karen Darley

CONCERNS have been raised over the damage caused to the grass verges by lorries taking materials to the Brambling Fields works.

Due to a planning condition, HGVs are not allowed to travel through Malton and Norton en route from Wath Quarry, near Hovingham, to the A64 junction.

But Richard Walton, who lives in Kirby Misperton said the constant convoy of lorries is damaging village roadsides.

“These are very narrow roads with no footpath and these lorries are cutting into the grass verges,” he said.

“I can’t understand why they are not allowed to go through town or why they couldn’t take another route.”

Mr Walton, a decorator, said the lorries are going via Amotherby and Habton, often when children were going to and from school.

“About 22 came through our village in line at one time. They are thundering past all day. These roads just aren’t suitable for this amount of heavy traffic.”

North Yorkshire’s area highways manager Richard Marr said the lorries were restricted by the planning condition and the only alternative had been to go across Peasey Hill, a residential area where two schools were situated.

“On balance it was felt the route through Amotherby Habton and Kirby Misperton was better and the damage caused to the verges will be repaired once the transport work has finished,” he said.

“About 70,000 tonnes of material has had to be transported but we expect that to come to an end this week.”

Mr Marr said the Brambling Fields works were about a week behind schedule due to issues with BT cabling.

“The project is still on target to open the junction towards the end of June with contractors returning to carry out landscaping and planting,” he added.