AS WE reported last week, there are many strands to the issues surrounding lorry parks in the West Thurrock area. Sometimes you take them separately and then you piece them together.
One key issue outlined was the subject of traffic congestion in the area. Many of the campaigners have looked at the number of housing developments in existence, being built or being applied for and asked: “What exactly are the authorities doing about the traffic congestion in the area?”. Indeed, before that, they are asking: “What is the evidence that there is a problem?
In May 2009, officers from Thurrock Council attended the West Thurrock and South Stifford Community Forum. The minutes reveal the following:
“Council Officer Ed Vokes introduced John Worley from Mouchel, the company commissioned to conduct a traffic study.
John Worley gave a brief introduction and then proceeded with a PowerPoint presentation of the results from the study.
Mouchel were commissioned in 2008 to study the impact of potential land use changes in the area from West Thurrock Way to South Stifford, including traffic surveys and historical comparisons with the results.
The traffic surveys were carried out in January and February 2009 and also compared the accident history over the past four years. Some of the major findings are as follows:
1. London Road operates ‘like a major trunk road’; for example the A13
2. Over the survey period 15,800 two way traffic movements were recorded.
3. The London Road has a very high accident rate – 49 injury accidents in four years – that is over double the national average.
4. The number of H.G.V.’s using the London Road is three times the national.
There has also been the problem of boy racers using the area as a racetrack as well. YourThurrock spoke to community activist, Kay Ravenhill about that problem and how it ties up with the general concerns regarding traffic in the area.
