Listed building is damaged by lorry
11:12am Thursday 12th May 2011
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CHIPPING Campden town councillors are calling for prosecutions after a lorry crashed into a shop in Sheep Street, causing ‘horrendous’ damage.
The Robert Welch Design shop felt the force of a Spanish juggernaut as it tried to skirt round the street, leaving owners of the listed building furious and calling for action.
Director Alice Welch said: “The lorry impaled itself on our wall and did horrendous damage to the corner and drains. It’s not structural and it’s business as usual, but it will take months for the
wall to be fixed. We will need planning permission to close the pavement.
“It is an increasing problem in the town. Drivers ignore the weight restrictions.”
Town councillor Clive Constable said: “We have done everything we can to stop heavy lorries coming through the town illegally, but with little success. We need some prosecutions to make an example
of them.”
Town councillor Michael Haines agreed.
He said: “Lorries use other unsuitable roads to travel down all the time damaging pavements and drains.”
Jane Glennie from The Court in Calf Lane said six months ago a lorry delivering to the Co-op nearby had damaged her drains. She said: “It’s a nuisance. They should take a different route.”
Area highways manager Bob Skillern, said: “The town council did raise the issue of overweight HGVs using the town as a through route with us. We met with them to discuss this and agreed to improve
the weight restriction signs in and around the town to make them even more visible to HGV drivers.
“It is absolutely clear that HGVs can only use roads in the centre of the town for access to make deliveries, and not as a through route.”
A spokesperson for Gloucestershire police said the lorry appeared to be overweight but they were taking no action.
She said: “This could result in a non-endorsable fixed penalty notice of £30. Officers attended and the decision was made on this occasion not to take any further police action. However, words of
advice were given to the driver.”
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