Noise, pollution and traffic congestion complaints have prompted a developer to amend its routing of heavy vehicles to a large Exmouth development.
Stand-still traffic, diesel pollution and sleep-breaking noise blighted Cyprus Road in August, according to residents, who say it was used as a ‘rat run’ to the Plumb Park development.
Taylor Wimpey now says it has responded to feedback, issuing new instructions to contractors accessing the site.
One resident, who preferred not to be named, described to the Journal how ‘many lorries’ were causing noise, diesel pollution and traffic congestion’ in the road(s) to and from Plumb Park.
“Never mind the hazard to other road users caused by large industrial vehicles using minor roads,” he said.
“Heavy lorries shouldn’t be using the quiet residential roads between Salterton Road and the Plumb Park development – particularly in early morning.”
The resident described being woken as early as 6.50am by aggregate vehicles using the ‘very narrow’ road as a ‘cut-through’ to the site.
He also photographed a scene of ‘chaos’ as three lorries and a local bus struggled to exit onto Salterton Road and raised safety concerns about the start of the new school term.
Taylor Wimpey says it has acted on these concerns, despite existing traffic movements to and from Plumb Park being in accordance with the Construction Management Plan, formed in consultation with East Devon District Council.
A Taylor Wimpey spokesman said: “Following feedback from local residents, we have amended our instructions to contractors to ensure that wider roads are used when possible.”
The council said while contractors were asked to use ‘the widest routes available’, there were no planning restrictions preventing construction traffic from using Cyprus Road.
Unless in the case of safety, or other specific issues, the council said it was not possible to restrict construction traffic from using a particular section of public highway through planning permission.
The council also said a current increase in developments meant there was more construction traffic as a whole in Exmouth, causing ‘unfortunate’ but ‘inevitable’ disruption to some residents.
A council spokesman said: “We understand the disturbance and stress this can cause but it is unavoidable.”
This is not the first time Taylor Wimpey’s Plumb Park development – earmarked for up to 350 homes – has caused controversy.
Earlier this year the Journal reported how some elderly Exmouth residents felt ‘trapped inside’ because of site traffic.More recently there were complaints over clouds of red dust causing a mess and health hazard, both being air-born and settling on people’s homes and belongings.
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