Cotswold woman fumes as HGVs keep smashing into their wall
A Cotswold[1] resident has expressed anger and disappointment at HGVs smashing into their property multiple times.
Denise Crossland, 72, lives with her husband Frank and moved to the village of Daglingworth near Cirencester[2] in 1995. With a 7.5 tonne limit through the village, Denise tells us that the problem of HGVs smashing into their wall began three to four years ago but the problem has got worse.
“It makes me feel really angry,” Denise says. “I don’t know whether I’m angry because they’re taking no notice or whether I’m just angry at HGVs not putting proper satnavs in their vehicles.”
Only recently have Denise and Frank been able to claim back the damage on insurance, and speaking to them at their home, they say that villagers have had enough.
“Last year, I rushed out of the house at midnight in my dressing gown to confront an articulated lorry that I could see and hear coming down the road,” Denise adds. “Luckily, it had stopped at the junction and did reverse back to Cirencester when I told the driver he would not make the corner.”
The full extent of the wall damage. Denise and Frank say their wall has been damaged multiple times over the past three to four years. (Image: Denise Crossland)
Representing the Ermin ward on Cotswold District Council, Cllr Julia Judd says this problem has “been a campaign of mine for three years now. I took the Highways Officer on a tour of my ward last year, pointing these issues out as several other villages (including the Duntisbournes) suffer from the same issue.”
Cllr Judd adds that “the signage is wrong on the A417. Some of them actually look like an invitation for lorries and I also think that HGV owners and haulage companies should be culpable as only this will help equip their drivers with bespoke HGV Satnavs instead of others which are designed for car users.”
A further issue that villagers in the Duntisbournes and Daglingworth say they face with HGVs is a current planning inquiry where communities have fears over a possible Cotswold lorry park near the A417[4] harming the Cotswold Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty[5].
Plans to build the new 75-space truck stop on land at Gloucester[6] Road near the A417 in Stratton was rejected by Cotswold District Council in March last year, but the inquiry is ongoing. The second part of the planning inquiry takes place on the 19 April.
Cllr Judd says the signage is wrong on the A417 as HGVs come into Daglingworth and The Duntisbournes. (Image: Will Luker)
Sarah Lewis, National Highways Service Manager, said: “We are doing everything we can to encourage drivers to stick to the approved diversions that we use when the A417 and A419 are closed. Diversion routes are agreed with Gloucestershire County Council and Gloucestershire Constabulary[7] and are clearly signposted.
“We also publicise all diversions well in advance via signs on the roads, the Traffic England website and traffic[8] bulletins on local and national radio stations. We will continue to listen to feedback from customers, stakeholders, haulage companies and our own teams to find further improvements to how we manage traffic.”
A Road Haulage Association spokesperson said: “We always urge hauliers to use truck sat navs to ensure they’re travelling on the most suitable roads for their journeys.”
References
- ^ Cotswold (www.gloucestershirelive.co.uk)
- ^ Cirencester (www.gloucestershirelive.co.uk)
- ^ Sadness as popular Cotswolds attraction to close after 35 years (www.gloucestershirelive.co.uk)
- ^ fears over a possible Cotswold lorry park near the A417 (www.gloucestershirelive.co.uk)
- ^ Cotswold Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (www.gloucestershirelive.co.uk)
- ^ Gloucester (www.gloucestershirelive.co.uk)
- ^ Gloucestershire Constabulary (www.gloucestershirelive.co.uk)
- ^ traffic (www.gloucestershirelive.co.uk)