At the beginning of February, I held a HGVs virtual public meeting, which was attended by almost 100 local residents as well as Parish Councillors, Surrey County Council representative for Highways Matt Furniss, Tandridge District Councillors Lesley Steeds and Harry Fitzgerald, and local business operators.
We discussed the results of the HGVs survey I commissioned and heard from residents about what they’d like to see. The key concerns raised were the polo pitch site on Croydon Barn Lane, the weight and size of the HGVs, and the speed at which the HGVs are travelling. Other key concerns mentioned were the number of licences granted for local HGV firms, the planning permission process and enforcement.
Since the meeting, my office has spoken to Tandridge District Council again and we have been told the necessary earth movements have been completed at the polo pitch. This should result in a significant reduction in the HGV movements along Bones Lane in particular.
Looking ahead, residents and Parish Councils will be working together to agree on a set of interventions to provide a better balance between businesses and residents and that protect our roads. As part of this effort, Parish Councils and District Councillors have agreed to organise a roundtable with residents and local HGV operating firms, and Surrey County Council has said they will consider the preferred list of interventions once established by residents and Parish Councils. They will also look at the possibility of a review of signs and HGV routing in the south Tandridge area, as well as working with Surrey Police on an education campaign for HGVs.
At a national level, I will be pressing the Government to devolve more traffic enforcement powers to local authorities, as well as raising the need for Traffic Commissioner reform to make sure our regulator has the teeth it needs to operate. I will be stressing in particular the need for more local negotiation, as well as further assessments of local infrastructure and the number of firms already operating in an area before approving HGV licenses.
I will continue to update you all as we make further progress. As ever, if you need my assistance or have any questions, please contact me at [email protected].
