Concerns raised over town lorry park future

CONCERNS HAVE been raised for the future of a lorry park in North Yorkshire’s fastest growing town, following a wave of complaints over antisocial behaviour.

Senior figures on Richmondshire District Council have signalled their appetite to battle to retain or sell the authority’s facility, near Colburn Medical Centre, off Catterick Road in Colburn, after it emerged talks were being held over selling it to Colburn Town Council.

The concerns come five months after the town council approved a request for ownership of the lorry park, to give longterm security to the area for community use.

The Road Haulage Association has said more rather than less facilities are needed for drivers in North Yorkshire, while other industry bodies have pointed to the limitations on driving time and the work drivers do.

Initially, the district council had offered The Broadway car park and the lorry park at a peppercorn transfer cost, but at the time the town council “felt they could only manage the car park”.

As housing and commercial developments within the ward have moved on at pace, councillors have said the lorry park is no longer suitable at that site.

A meeting of the council’s corporate board heard a valuation of the site was being sought as the town council had a long-held ambition to buy the lorry park, which is close to the town’s employment areas of Walkerville Industrial Estate and Easton Way.

Coun Angle Dale. a Colburn councillor, said the facility had no toilet, leading to complaints about human waste at the site.

However, the district council’s former leader, Councillor Yvonne Peacock, said she wanted the issue to be thoroughly examined before any final decisions were made, as lorries “need to park somewhere”. She was “concerned” about disposing of the lorry park.