An application to allow HGVs to enter the Hambleton Grove Industrial Estate in Knaresborough from 7am, six days a week, has been submitted to Harrogate Borough Council.
However, objections have been raised by the council’s environmental health department due to the “bang and crashes” associated with the movement of goods.
Currently, HGVs can enter the industrial estate through the residential street Hambleton Grove from 8am.
Planning documents submitted by the builder’s merchants Myers Group, which uses the site, said it needs to start earlier in the morning as construction companies require early morning deliveries to ensure materials are available for the day ahead.
Mark Lee, environmental health officer at HBC, submitted a letter of objection to the proposal due to the noise implications. He also said the application has not been supported by a report that assesses its likely noise impact.
He wrote:
“Whilst the reason given to extend their hours is for the loading and dispatch of one dispatch vehicle this will result in six early mornings a week when forklift trucks will be in use and the associated engine noise, alarms, bang and crashes associated with the external movement of goods.”
Residents in Knaresborough have already launched a campaign to stop HGVs from using the industrial estate.
Stephen Mckenzie, who lives on Hambleton Grove, told the Stray Ferret:
“People in the neighbourhood are deeply concerned by this attempt to subvert the original planning conditions.
“Residents applaud the response of Environmental Health and hope Highways and then Planning have the same courage of conviction.“It is time planning and local representatives actually represented the rate payers of Knaresborough.”
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In documents, planning consultant Jay Everitt wrote on behalf of Myers Group that the variation “will have no impact” on nearby residents.
He wrote:
“The variation sought will only allow for the loading and departure of a single wagon which will not return to the site before 8am.
“The loading of the wagon takes place with a fork-lift truck which is fitted with white noise reverse alarms and the loading activity is not audible from Hambleton Grove.”
The Stray Ferret asked Myers Group for a response but we did not receive one at the time of publication.
Knaresborough residents call for HGV ban in narrow streetsResidents in Knaresborough have launched a campaign to stop HGVs from using a nearby industrial estate.
They say the vehicles are making their lives a misery and causing damage to nearby cars.
Hambleton Grove Industrial Estate is used by several businesses — but to enter the site the 50ft vehicles have to navigate the narrow residential street, Hambleton Grove.
Joe Farrar, who lives on Hambleton Grove, said the situation had worsened and he feared for the safety of passing children from nearby St John’s C of E Primary School.
He said:
“These heavy trucks have over the years caused an increasing amount of damage to vehicles. In one recent incident just on school time, two cars lost their wing mirrors within seconds of each other while parked within the permitted parking spaces on Hambleton Grove.
“What if the slight blow these vehicles received had been a child? We all fear it could happen.”
The site has expanded in recent years so when an application to expand the industrial estate to include the Myers builders’ merchants in 2016, North Yorkshire County Council highways recommended refusal due to the likely impact on nearby roads.
It said:
“The planning authority considers that the roads leading to the site are by reason of their poor junctions, insufficient widths considered unsuitable for the traffic which would be likely to be generated by this proposal.”
Despite the objection, the plans were passed by Harrogate Borough Council in January 2017.
Damage to this car was allegedly caused by an HGV.
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Another resident, Stephen Mckenzie, said he would like HGVs to be entirely banned from the area.
He said:
“As a neighbourhood we are really disturbed. Two of us went door-to-door at the weekend and there is near universal support in the neighbourhood for our request that HGVs are not allowed on our street.”
The residents have launched a petition to try and stop the HGVs which they will present to Harrogate Borough Council, North Yorkshire County Council and Harrogate and Knaresborough’s Conservative MP Andrew Jones.
A Harrogate Borough Council spokesman said:
“We are aware of concerns local residents have regarding HGV movements in this area of Knaresborough.
“We are currently taking action to ensure all turning facilities associated with business premises are available for use to ensure that unsafe manoeuvres do not take place.
“Any decision to ban certain vehicles from using roads in this location would rest with the county council as the highways authority.”
North Yorkshire County Council’s highways area manager Melisa Burnham said:
“As the local highway authority, we are aware of the issues relating to HGV movements in this area and have discussed these with local residents.
“Discussions are ongoing with the business and Harrogate Borough Council as planning authority to alleviate the problem and ensure all highway-related conditions attached to the granted planning permission are adhered to appropriately.”
The Stray Ferret contacted Myers builders merchants but it did not respond by the time of publication.