Miller loses bid to change centre
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• Surrey-based haulier Frederick R Miller has lost its appeal against South Eastern & Metropolitan LA Brigadier Michael Turner's refusal to authorise a change of operating centre.
The company, which holds an international licence for 16 vehicles anc 50 trailers, hod applied to move its operating centre from Elstead to Hewitt's Home Farm, Shackleford, GocIalming. The move was opposed by Surrey County Council and Guildford Borough Council and there was a representation on environmental grounds from a neighbouring resident. Three other operators were licensed from Hewitt's Home Farm: the owner, a Mr Hewitt, with a licence for 26 vehicles and six traIlers; Magnet (UK) with a licence for one vehicle; and Shackleford Turf with a licence for three vehicles.
The LA had refused the application on safety and environmental grounds. He was concerned about road safety at the junction of the private road serving the farm and the northbound carriageway of the A3. In his judgement it was a potentially dangerous junction because of dense, high-speed traffic.
Without the provision of proper acceleration or deceleration lanes, he felt it would be unsafe to introduce more vehicles at the site. Turner also considered that as the site was set in an area of outstanding natural beauty, adding vehicles and trailers to the existing site would adversely affect the surrounding environment. The company maintained that in practical terms the junction did not present any difficulties to experienced drivers and the traffic on the A3 would not be affected by traffic joining or leaving it.
Rejecting the company's appeal, the Transport Tribunal said that the LA had been entitled to take note of evidence from the Department of Transport called to support the objections, that approval of the application would have a material effect on safety.
The Tribunal considered that there was ample evidence for the
iiiY FU LA to conclude that the increased
Turner: Decision backed use of the site would adversely by Transport Tribunal, affect the neighbourhood.