HGV limit talks welcomed in Spondon

Calls for a heavy goods vehicle limit to be enforced at a Derby suburb have been welcomed – with the traffic in the area called “terrible”.

Residents of Spondon have been giving their thoughts following the news that official talks have got under way over a possible weight restriction being introduced in the area.

Gridlock concerns in Spondon have been well documented in recent times. Previous news articles have mainly themed the traffic concerns around plans to build new homes and fears the area will not be able to cope as a result.

This was highlighted on a big stage only last month when a planning inquiry began over very controversial plans to build up to 90 new homes on green wedge land, which aims to separate both Spondon and neighbouring Chaddesden.

But in addition to housing, there are concerns that a large amount of lorries or heavy good vehicles passing through the Spondon streets is also becoming a common problem and adding to the area’s traffic woes.

Councillors in Spondon fear the road network across the suburb is “extremely fragile”, with high levels of traffic and congestion a common problem.

Recently highways officers at Derby City Council have visited the area to investigate the situation with councillors. Since publication of the story, readers have welcomed that talks have begun and said change has been long needed.

Readers in Spondon welcomed the changes. Sally Newbold, 66, told the Local Democracy Reporting Service: “I’ve got grandchildren, and I literally have to hold them tight on the pavement because so many are coming past, and they are going too fast.

“It’s dangerous. The village is too small for them.”

Readers have also welcomed the talks but say new developments and big changes to the surrounding area have compounded the problem in recent times.

One resident commented online: “I live and work in Spondon and the traffic is terrible. When they built these little villages back in the day, they never expected to get the volume of traffic we do now. Our village is very compact and dense with buildings and not a lot of main roads. We are becoming over populated due to the surrounding development.”

David Arrowsmith, who lives on the outskirts of Spondon believed bad planning was to blame for the situation with developments such as the New Stanton Park industrial warehouses, the West Hallam Storage Depot  and Quarry Hill Road Industrial Estate all having a consequential effect on Spondon.

He said: “All this HGV traffic can only join the main trunk road system by one of three routes – through Spondon onto A52, through Sandiacre to J25 of M1 and through Little Hallam/Bulls Head island to Ilkeston and onto the A610/J26 of M1.

“There have been no enhancements to these junctions nor are any in the pipeline and point to a wider failure in the planning system where the overall consequences of a development are just ignored.”

Another reader said action was needed. He said: “There are always roadworks in Spondon due to the HGVs tearing up the roads and damaging infrastructure. If I remember correctly, there was a meeting years ago to build a bypass as a direct link to the main carriage way (A52), (but this) never was considered or voted for. This case needs to be reopened to ensure HGV traffic is routed to the main highways. “