Hole-ridden road set for big changes

Central Bedfordshire Council, which is responsible for the upkeep of the road, wants to implement a lorry ban on the busy road, which HGVs use to reach the Woodside industrial estate.

Surveys are currently being undertaken on traffic at the junction of Boscombe Road and Luton Road, which would see an increase in traffic if Poynters Road had a lorry ban.

Central Beds councillor Nigel Young, responsible for Dunstable Icknield ward, said the council wanted a lorry ban but it “had to go through the due process”.

“Subject to consultation we do intend to implement a freight ban,” he said. “We know the junction of Boscombe Road and Luton Road isn’t everything it should be, it can be a real bottleneck there at peak times.

“We want to understand whether and how we can make changes to traffic flows there. As soon as we understand that we will go out to consultation with residents in Poynters Road and Luton Road.”

Councillor Young said once a decision was made on the freight ban, resurfacing would be carried out.

“The standard of resurfacing needs to be much higher if we are allowing HGVs along there. We are going to do the resurfacing, it is just a matter of which type.

“Hopefully it will be done by the middle of this year, and if not, it will certainly be done this calendar year.”

Colin Braxton of the Poynters Road Action Committee said he and his wife Christine, who have there for 26 years, were “absolutely disgusted” with the state of the road.

“The council has said it’s all down to budget and that they don’t intend to do anything to the road until they do a complete resurfacing,” he said.

“We can’t sleep in the front of the house any more, the noise is horrendous.

“Most of the traffic goes to the Woodsdide Estate. It’s getting to the stage where it is unbearable. We have done our own consultation and people have said they are having to move because of the noise.

“Because of the busway being built we have lorries going past that are fully loaded, and then coming back empty and making an awful sound as they go over the potholes.”

Plans for the freight ban were “very, very welcome”, said South West Bedfordshire MP Andrew Selous.

“People have been complaining for a long time,” he said. “I understand that the road will be resurfaced this year but we do need a longer term solution.

“For driver safety and quality of life for residents we need to get large lorries off that road.

“The bypass will provide a proper access route for HGV traffic to the industrial estates. I wish all these things could be done tomorrow – it is awful for people to have to put up with it.

“But we are not talking about something we would like to be done, it is a reality because money has been committed.”

Central Bedfordshire councillor Brian Spurr, responsible for roads, said the authority had “provisional plans” to carry out resurfacing this summer.

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