Plans for A338 cause concerns (From Andover Advertiser)

Plans for A338 cause concerns

3:20pm Monday 1st February 2010

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SEVERAL people showed their opposition to plans to deprime the A338 route through Tidworth and the Collingbournes when Tidworth area board heard a presentation from local councillor Charles Howard.

The idea would drop the busy but narrow road from the nation’s primary route network and enable the highway authority to block heavy lorries forcing them to take a longer route via the A34.

While this would reduce congestion and pollution in the villages some argued that it would increase emissions overall and cause economic hardship for lorry operators and roadside businesses.

Brenda Bale, whose family have run transport businesses in the area since 1851 and has three lorries based in the Collingbournes, says the plan would make it uneconomic to run lorries between Weyhill and Bristol.

“Cars are 90 per cent of the problem and not one single lorry journey is a joy ride, it is necessary,” she said.

“To make us use the A303 and A34 would put an hour on the day and have a financial effect.”

Her lorry does 9.6 miles per gallon so the extra distance would be important as it would involve significant extra cost.

Cllr Howard identified the church bends in Collingbourne Ducis as one bottleneck which could not cope with the HGVs but the lorry operator said a similar problem on the A360 at West Lavington had been overcome by the use of an interactive light system.

The three councillor members of the board voted to back the call for the A338 to be taken off the primary route network.

After the meeting the Brenda Bale said she was ‘disgusted’ with the outcome. Five other members of the public also raised their hands in opposition when opinion was asked for.

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