Issue - meetings

To consider a report by the Heavy Goods Vehicle Working Group who’s report and recommendations have been endorsed by the Overview and Scrutiny Panel (Service Support).

Agreed to invite the County Council to establish a county-wide forum, involving the County Council, District Councils, local Members of Parliament, Cambridgeshire Constabulary and HGV operators to lobby Government to investigate the problem of heavy goods vehicle parking throughout the district and take steps to resolve it; agreed that the matter be raised with the Cambridgeshire Together: Local Area Agreement Board; and requested that the District Council as local planning authority seek to influence the development of suitable HGV parking opportunities adjacent to the trunk roads across the District.

Consideration was given to a report by the Working Group appointed by the Overview and Scrutiny Panel (Service Support) to undertake a review of the issue of heavy good vehicles parking throughout the District.  A copy of the report is appended in the Minute Book.

Having noted the Working Group’s recommendations in relation to the identification of sites for HGV parking and the need for facilities on the trunk road network in order to avoid the problems arising from a lack of provision which were exacerbated by the rationalisation of the lay-bys along the A14, the Cabinet

RESOLVED

(a)  that the County Council be invited to establish a county-wide forum, involving the County Council, District Councils, local Members of Parliament, Cambridgeshire Constabulary and HGV operators to lobby Government to investigate the problem urgently and take steps to resolve it;

(b)  that the support for the forum be sought via the Cambridgeshire Together: Local Area Agreement Board; and

(c)  that the District Council, as Local Planning Authority seek to influence the development of suitable HGV parking opportunities adjacent to the trunk roads in the District.

To consider the report of the Working Group appointed by the Panel.

(Councillor P L E Bucknell, Executive Councillor for Planning Strategy and Transport was in attendance for this item).

Further to Minute No. 07/41 and with the assistance of a report (a copy of which is appended in the Minute Book), Councillor P M D Godfrey acquainted the Panel with the outcome of the deliberations of the Working Group which had been established to review the issue of Heavy Goods Vehicles (HGV) parking throughout the District.  The matter had been raised initially by Councillor P H Dakers in response to the closure of the “Night Owl” lorry parking facility at Alconbury and his concerns relating to a reduction in overnight parking facilities for HGVs across the District.

The Panel acknowledged that there was a clear need to provide suitable parking on the trunk road network to avoid the problems which arose from a lack of provision which was being exacerbated by the rationalisation of the lay-bys along the A14.  However, Members recognised that there was little that the District Council could do in isolation to tackle a national problem and that the Council’s main influence on the provision of lorry parking facilities in Huntingdonshire would be through the Local Development Framework in terms of the identification of sites for HGV parking and opposing the redevelopment of closed sites for alternative uses. The Panel also noted that the Alconbury site was now being advertised for sale again.

Subject to minor amendments to the Working Group’s recommendations, it was

RESOLVED

  (a)  that the Working Group’s report and recommendations be endorsed for submission to the Cabinet, subject to the addition of the words “Cambridgeshire Constabulary” after the word “Parliament” in recommendation (a) and the substitution of the words “trunk roads across the District” in place of the words “conjunction with the A14 realignment scheme in recommendation (c); and

  (b)  that Councillor P M D Godfrey be requested to present the report to the Cabinet for consideration.