New focus announced on lorries using A25 in East Surrey (From Redhill And Reigate Life)

New focus announced on lorries using A25 in East Surrey

12:19pm Tuesday 19th June 2012 in Local News

Highways chiefs have announced a new focus on the A25 in East Surrey, and particularly the impact lorries using it have on local residents.

  The announcement from Surrey County Council's highways department came after a meeting at Tandridge District Council's headquarters between its representatives with East Surrey MP Sam Gyimah and the Traffic Action Group - A25 (TAG-A25)  residents group.

  The meeting was the first since January, when action group members raised concerns that vibrations from heavy goods vehicles (HGVs) could be damaging historic buildings and  infrastructure in the villages of Bletchingley, Nutfield and Godstone.

The fears were raised against the backdrop of the approval of the Surrey Minerals Plan last year.

Residents said they were facing the spectre of possibly as many as 250 additional lorries rumbling through the villages on the A25 every day.

  They called for the county council to carry out tests on the vibrations caused by the lorries.

  Last week, the county's highways department announced it would look at infrastructure in Tandridge, with a particular focus on the A25.

  Surrey highways stated it would be reassessing a survey made in 2000, and looking to update traffic surveys to better understand the impact that HGV lorries have on local residents.

  After the meeting, Mr Gyimah welcomed the announcement, calling HGVs “a blight” on local residents' lives, and saying the A25 was “being pushed to breaking point.”

  Mr Gyimah said: “I very much welcome Surrey County Council  highways' renewed focus on the A25, and I am pleased that our last meeting proved effective in moving the issue of the A25 up the agenda at the department.”

  He said: “HGV lorries are a blight on the lives of those that live in and around the picturesque villages along the A25.

“Dealing with the issue of congestion and particularly that of HGV movements is a major priority for me.”

  He continued: “The A25 desperately needs a reassessment of its capabilities, as it is currently being pushed to breaking point.

“We are never going to be rid of HGV lorries, but we have put a very strong case to Surrey highways that there should be further restrictions on HGV movements and numbers, that traffic calming measures should be introduced in the villages along the A25 to mitigate their impact, and for the development of a potential long-term strategy involving another access point with the M25.”

  He added: “I am pleased to report that after meetings with Surrey highways, we are moving towards an understanding of what the A25 can support.

“Surrey County Council highways have committed to re-examine the infrastructure in Tandridge, with a particular focus on the A25.”