Residents have started a petition against a planning application that would see thousands of tonnes of soil transported through their village.
Residents campaigning against lorries travelling through their village to Orston Shooting Ground include, left to right, Mr Paul Whalley, Mrs Gloria Whalley, and Mr Mick Bajcar. (270710JT12-1)
Orston Shooting Ground, on Bottesford Lane, has applied to move 27,300 tonnes of soil from the A46 to create earth bunds, which will safely enclose the shooting area.
However, Orston residents are concerned no one has thought through the implications and what effect it could have on the roads.
Mr Jeff Dickinson, of Station Road, who started the petition, said his road was already plagued by lorries and he was concerned this new project would only add to the increasing number of vehicles.
“It is ironic that a project such as the A46, designed to improve the transport through Nottingham, could have a negative impact on lots of other villages,” he said.
Orston Parish Council did not object to the application, but did express concern about traffic.
Mr Dickinson, a retired research scientist, said: “None of the councillors live on Station Road so they don’t know the impact the lorry loads of soil will have on residents.
“I don’t think councillors have thought it through.”
Plans for the shooting ground were accepted last year, subject to the earth bunds being constructed using material extracted from the site. However, only 15,000 of the 42,000 tonnes required for the project is available.
Mr Charlie Denoon, the shooting ground owner, said they had been told they needed to use top quality subsoil to create the bunds and so would have to import the remainder from the A46.
He said: “We cannot and will not use rubbish as it needs to be environmentally friendly. The landscaping of the bunds will provide further habitat for wildlife within the area.”
Mr Denoon said the lorries should not go near the village. He said the planned route would take them from the A46, down the A52 and up Station Road before turning on to Bottesford Lane.
“The issue of the number of lorries has been raised and as a result contractors have planned a one-way system so they don’t cross each other on the return route,” he said.
Mr Denoon said it was costing him a lot of money to ensure the project was done properly and it was likely only to take two to three weeks.
Last year, Mr Dickinson was part of a campaign demanding a 71/2-tonne restriction on Station Road because residents believed it had been damaged from over-use and was not suitable for lorries.
Mr George Bridges, principal traffic engineer for Scott Wilson, said the company was developing a scheme for Nottinghamshire County Council, which has approved this year’s programme of roads requiring weight restrictions.
One of the roads on the list is the C3 road, running from the A52 through Orston, Alverton, Kilvington and into the south of Newark.
Mr Bridges said: “We are looking at different options to stop the HGV movements through those roads. A weight restriction on the C3 road would help residents on Station Road.”
He hoped there would be public consultation next month.
