Shap villagers demand action over lorries

They are concerned at the number of heavy lorries passing along the A6 between Shap Beck Quarry and the Corus plant at Shap Toll Bar, and they believe the noise is caused by empty vehicle bodies rattling over the uneven road surface.

Cumbria County Council's Eden area committee heard the main street had been dug up for sewer, gas, water and telecom works in the past five years and more.

The road had "a patchwork appearance", although the majority of the surface met national standards.

Villagers believe the number of heavy lorries has increased, and they say the noise is worse in the early morning and late evening - most noticeably from empty vehicles travelling north.

The Shap Industry Liaison Group - chaired by Shap Parish Council chairman Jean Jackson - met this summer to discuss the problems.

The parish council had received complaints about dust and noise from wagons driving through the village.

The meeting was told that many people in Shap relied upon tourism for their income, and they were getting complaints from guests about noise from lorries, which began at 5.30am and continued until 11pm.

Brian Beardsall, of the Crown Inn, said he had been obliged to refund several guests who had been unable to sleep because of the road noise.

One villager believed vibrations and shockwaves were dislodging bricks on his building.

Figures from Eden District Council showed that noise levels rose to almost 70 decibels when an HGV passed through the village - compared to 28 decibels for normal traffic noise.

Members of the Eden area committee agreed that more investigation was needed before they discussed the problem again, including:

- A detailed survey of the road surface to identify severe deformities which need repairing.

- Voluntary codes of conduct should be explored with vehicle operators, perhaps to limit speeds within the village to 25mph.

Operators should also consider measures to control rattling vehicle bodies and rear doors.