Traffic examiner's report is inaccurate, say residents
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A traffic examiner's report supporting a licence bid by a Cheshire haulier was attacked as "biased and inaccurate" by local residents at a Stockport public inquiry before North Western Deputy Traffic Commissioner Mark Hinchliffe.
Dennis Manchester, trading as DNM Haulage, had applied for a new two-vehicle international licence based at Ash Farm, Hale, Altrincham. The application was opposed by Trafford Metropolitan Borough Council and 12 local residents.
Local resident Michael Whittaker said Ash Farm was totally inappropriate for use as a haulage centre: two new ugly buildings and half an acre of hard standing were visually intrusive. Residents were con
cerned about noise, vibration and emissions from diesel engines starting up early in the morning; they felt that another assessment should be carried out.
Another resident, John McKenzie, said the traffic examiner's report had failed to mention that the site lay in greenbelt land. It also omitted the fact that the access lane was a designated public footpath going past the front of stables.
For Manchester, James Webley said that the vehicles would be kept under cover when not being used and the intention was that the vehicles would be away all week, leaving on a Monday morning and returning Saturday morning. No trailers would be kept at the site, only tractive units, For the council, Ian Ponter said they considered the site to be inappropriate on environmental grounds, and the council considered the existing highway network was inadequate.
The Deputy TC said that a TC's jurisdiction was limited to the junction of the private access lane with the public road. He had no jurisdiction to prevent an operator from using the public road. "If the council feels the use of the public road by HGV vehicles is unsuitable the answer lies in their hands and not in mine," he added.
The Deputy TC adjourned the hearing pending the attendance of the borough engineer and the traffic examiner.