The Peterborough Evening Telegraph
Residents angry at car transporters on streets
About 100 residents turned out to a public meeting to voice concerns about the use of residential streets as an access for car transporters to the East of England Showground.
Many of the worries were expressed by residents living in and around Dunblane Drive, which is being used as the main entrance and exit to anewlycreatedcarstorageand distributiondepotattheShowground and operated by logistics giant DHL.
Their concerns focused on thetrafficdangersandcongestioncausedbythetransporters delivering about 80 vehicles a day to the site.
Bytheendofthethree-hour meetingonTuesdaymanyresidents were left disappointed by the response of the Showground operator AEPG (Asset Earning Power Group) to their concerns.
Afterwards,residentsHoward and Gwynneth Dunn said: “We think the main thing to come out of the meeting is that AEPG now understands the strength of our feelings about these issues.
"Andbothsidesunderstand the strength of the other’s opposingposition.Buttheiroverall attitude suggests they will just push on with this regardlessandtheyarenotinterested in residents’ feelings.
"Our concerns have not been addressed – and in fact the transporters were on the road again this morning.”
Independent Councillor Julie Stevenson, one of the area’s representatives on Peterborough City Council, said: “Very unfortunately, this wellattended meeting failed to meet any of its aims.
"Residents were hoping thatAEPGwouldaddresstheir immediate concerns about traffic chaos on the residential estate caused by the current use of the showground space by DHL, but this item was very low down the long agenda.
"As a result, residents very understandablydemandedthe issuebeaddressedimmediately,andthemeetingagendawas soon abandoned and the audience allowed to chip in whenever they wanted.
She added: “Residents felt they weren't listened to and some left before the end of the meeting out of frustration.
"As a result, we learned very little about what is happening and the concerns that residents have about DHL were acknowledged but not addressed.”
AEPGhasbeenapproached for a response.
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