Curries wins increase
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A licensing authority has iled that he can only control hat happens at an operating Nitre and not on roads leading it, following a bid by 18 local .sidents to stop a haulier uskg a suburban road.
Scottish Deputy Licensing .uthority Alex Brand increased ie authorisation on the licence I Dumfries international aulier Currie & Johnstone European Transport) from 30 ehicles and 100 trailers to 40 ehicles and 150 trailers.
The company's application ad attracted representations rom 18 local residents who wanted to prevent it using Herries Avenue, especially during the night.
Residents' spokesman Richard Tyerman said that noise and nuisance from heavy vehicles using Herries Avenue had reached unacceptable levels. This had been recognised by the local council, which had proposed two traffic regulation orders, one prohibiting the use of Herries Avenue between 22:00hrs and 06:00hrs, and a second prohibiting its use altogether once the Dumfries bypass was completed in 1990. He agreed that the residents were not opposed to the increase in the licence as such.
Managing director Norman Currie said the additional vehicles and trailers were urgently required, and if not authorised serious consideration would have to be given to moving the company's operations from Dumfries. The application had been made as long ago as February and the delay had caused considerable operational difficulties.
He believed the council had a duty to provide the company with an adequate road net work, but it had closed its minds to the problem. The Scottish Development Agency had been approached about creating an access from the depot to the A701 trunk road. The cost of this had been estimated at £20,000 and the council had been asked for financial assistance.
The company had considerable sympathy for the residents, said Currie. Instructions would be given in writing to its drivers, mechanics and 50 owner-drivers who hauled company trailers, to avoid using Herries Avenue at night whenever possible. He could not categorically say that it would never be used, however. It was the shortest route to the company's maintenance facility at Lockerbie — some 2.5km, compared with 101m over a route which also had road safety implications.
For the company, Michael Whiteford pointed out that there had been no statutory objectors to the application, and that the residents were asking the DLA to do something he had no power to do. There was no suggestion that the operating centre itself was unsuitable for the additional vehicles. If the application was granted, it would have a minimal effect on the usage of Herries Avenue, while a refusal would have serious implications for the company.