auliers fight for lorry park
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by Lee 'Umber • At least 50 hauliers face losing their Operators-licences because a loud authority wants to make room for a gypsy camp.
The hauliers and some coach operators use a lorry park in Drury Lane, Neasden, north London, as their registered base for about 150 commercial vehi cles. But last week Conservative-controlled Brent Council told the operators it planned to close the park on 10 October. It plans to build 25 amenity units for gypsies who are currently based a few hundred yards away. The council is understood to have been offered millions of pounds for the present gypsy site by warehouse retailer Costco.
The hauliers have little chance of finding alternative sites or of getting new 0-licence approval before they have to quit.
Haulier Brian Burgess has used the site for 16 years, but sees little hope of finding another site. He pays £645 per month to keep six trailers and four artics on the park and has found only one alternative site—where parking costs and rates totalled 42114,000 per year.
The Road Haulage Association has written to the council asking for it to give hauliers at least six months to find alternative sites. RHA area manager John lvVadhams says: "Gypsies are an ethnic minority. Drivers aren't."
A council spokesman confirmed the proposal, but stressed that it has to be considered by committee early in October.
"As part of that proposal we're looking for an alternative site," he says, adding that there may be space left for fewer than 25 trucks.