Scorpio wins round 2
Page 24
If you've noticed an error in this article please click here to report it so we can fix it.
• Scorpio International has succeeded at its second attempt to win an authority to take over the Higher Walton, near Preston, depot of its United Parcels sister company Atlas Express but North Western Licensing Authority Roy Hutchings has imposed a condition limiting the size of vehicles that may be operated.
Last May the LA refused Scorpio's first application on the grounds of the unsuitability of the private access road. (CM 31 May, 1986). Improvement work was carried out and Scorpio submitted a fresh application for 20 vehicles and 15 trailers. That was opposed by Lancashire County Council and South Ribble Borough Council, and by people living along the access road. The local authorities claimed that the junction of the access road with Higher Walton road was unsuitable for use by large vehicles.
Evidence was given that warehousing work at the site by Scorpio would continue whatever the fate of the application. Other businesses on the site generated considerable HGV traffic, although they were not licence holders.
The LA granted a licence for 20 vehicles and no trailers with a restriction that the authorised vehicles must not exceed 16.5 tonnes gross. Hutchings said at present the site was unsuitable for large vehicles, although there had only been one traffic accident at the junction in the past five years and that had not involved a heavy goods vehicle.