Otley MP takes lorry ban issue to Minister (From Wharfedale Observer)

Otley MP takes lorry ban issue to Minister

9:39am Wednesday 25th July 2007 in Local news By Jim Jack

OTLEY'S MP is asking the Secretary of State for Transport to help clear the way for a partial lorry ban.

Greg Mulholland MP felt compelled to write to Ruth Kelly MP after a compromise ban' - that would have used one-way traffic orders north of Otley to divert around 125 northbound HGVs a day away from the town - was rejected out of hand by North Yorkshire County Council (NYCC).

Leeds City Council - wary of getting into a fight at a public inquiry with its neighbouring authority - had hoped the proposal would be more acceptable to NYCC than the full ban being called for by campaign group Safety On Otley's Roads' (SOOR) and its supporters.

But the Harrogate Area County Council Committee has voted unanimously against it, outraging SOOR, ward councillor Colin Campbell (Lib Dem, Otley and Yeadon) and Mr Mulholland.

The Otley MP is now demanding a rethink over the way neighbouring councils have to co-operate on cross-border' issues like HGV bans.

He said: "It is quite wrong that one local authority can make decisions that have move HGV problems on to communities in a neighbouring authority area, then can block decisions made by the neighbouring authority to try to rectify this.

"There needs to be some sort of process, where there are disputes across local authority boundaries, whereby an overall assessment is made of the traffic problems faced by all communities in that wider area.

"The situation we have with Hanson's quarry vehicles in particular is totally unacceptable and there needs to be a solution that works for all communities in the area. I have called upon the Secretary of State for Transport to look into how we can achieve this."

In his letter to Mrs Kelly he writes: "There needs to be some kind of independent arbitration process to resolve this sort of cross authority problem and this could be done by the Department for Transport and associated agencies.

"If this process is not currently in place, it would no doubt involve a change in legislation so I would welcome your thoughts on this.

"Clearly it would be best if neighbouring authorities could work together and consider each restriction, and their ongoing impact, together. But the experience from Leeds shows that this sometimes does not happen, leaving a community or communities in one local authority area struggling with a problem that it is difficult to resolve without cross boundary co-operation."

Geoff Wright of SOOR said: "We are delighted with what Mr Mulholland is doing and his support for the campaign."

The rejected compromise ban' would have still allowed southbound lorries (coming from quarries and other bases in North Yorkshire) to pass through the town but would have forced them to return via Harrogate.