Householders to voice safety fears at car transporters on residential streets heading to East of England Showground

Scores of residents are expected to attend a public meeting tonight (April 17) to voice safety fears about huge car transporters using roads on a housing estate to access a vehicle storage and distribution depot at the East of England Showground.

It is thought about 50 people will turn out for the meeting, which has been organised by the Asset Earning Power Group (AEPG) to discuss plans for the future of the Showground.

While AEPG has organised the meeting to look at its outline planning application for a £50 million leisure village and 1,500 homes on the Showground site, residents are concerned about a retrospective planning application for the DHL-operated storage and distribution depot.

About 78 objections have been submitted to Peterborough City Council urging planners to reject the retrospective application.

The objections raise complaints about car transporters using the wrong roads and having to make 360 degree turns and in one case a resident says a lamppost was knocked over.

There are concerns about what one objector described as ‘ugly’ gates and ANPR cameras at the Dunblane Drive entrance to the Showground.

Some also voice anger that the depot is in use before councillors have been given a chance to consider the proposals, which envisage four transporters bringing 80 vehicles to the site each day.

The application, which seeks a five year temporary change of use for a section of the Showground and the exhibition hall, has been submitted by the showground operator, East of England Showground Services,

The proposal, which is expected to create 140 jobs, includes putting up two mobile office cabins and two paint booths/ovens and a marquee with the operation taking place between 6am and 6pm Monday to Friday.

But one resident said: “Residents are understandably up in arms over this, particularly as the operation has been going on for several weeks despite the planning application having not been approved.

“Of most concern, is the use of the Dunblane Drive entrance to the showground and the detrimental effect this is having on the residents.

"The expected daily traffic flow is not insignificant and the proposed numbers effectively make the Dunblane Drive entrance in constant use.

"It is therefore considered by the residents that use of any access to the proposed site through a residential area is wholly unacceptable.

"As of this week, large CCTV controlled ‘industrial’ gates have been installed at the Dunblane Drive entrance.

“Already there have been almost daily issues with HGVs in the Orton Southgate residential area, demonstrating how unsuitable and unacceptable this is, particularly with the damage that the vehicles are causing.

“Of more immediate concern is the potential harmful effect on the health of individuals in the surrounding area apart from the effect on air quality, noise pollution is considered a threat to health and wellbeing of local residents.

Residents are also concerned about the increase in the safety risk of the additional traffic.

A spokesperson for AEPG said a meeting with Orton Southgate and Northgate resident associations was being held at the Showground on Monday (April 17) from 6.30pm to 9pm to give residents a chance to voice their concerns.