Roadnight thwarts Oxon councils
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David Roadnight, who trades as Roadnight Haulage, has beaten off a three-way challenge to win the right to use a
site as his operating centre.
Oxfordshire County Council, South Oxfordshire District Council and a resident opposed Roadnight's application for a fivevehicle licence in Watlington.
Roadnight told Western Traffic Commissioner Christopher Heaps at an Oxford public inquiry that the site, at Webbs Yard in Cuxham Road, would be used only far overnight parking by two 7.5-tonne vehicles and one 17.5-tanner.
The larger vehicle. which he drove himself, would be there at weekends only. He had no intention to operate more than three vehicles, and he was seeking authority for five in case he had to hire-in.
Anthony Clarke, a highways engineer with the county council said the access was inadequate. The site was on a narrow, rural road where the average speed of traffic was 43-45mph.
The visibility to the left of the access
was restricted but he accepted that the entrance was wide.
David Hignell, for the district council. said the site consisted of a caravan park used by travelling showmen. Planning permission had been granted for a showmen's depot on appeal and the present application represented a change in planning use. He felt the planning issues should be resolved before the application was considered. He agreed that highway matters had been considered when the original planning permission was granted.
Neighbour Dr Chris Milward said he was concerned about the intensification in the use of the site, as there were already pollution problems.
Traffic examiner John Thorngate said there was adequate parking space and the much larger showmen's vehicles used the access without problems.
Granting the licence. the IC imposed conditions that vehicles entered and left in forward gear; they turned left leaving the site; maintenance and vehicle washing on the site was prohibited, and vehicles