Villagers have branded plans for a large new lorry park close to the A14 as “inappropriate, detrimental and dangerous”.
They are trying to persuade planners not to give consent for the project on the old Felixstowe Road at Stratton Hall, Levington, because it would ruin the countryside and they fear it could create extra hazards at the Levington junction onto the dual carriageway.
But logistics firm Prologic, which wants to build the 82-space lorry park, says there has only been one slight accident at the A14 junction and one one-vehicle crash at Stratton Hall Drift-Felixstowe Road in the past five years.
It says there will be an average of 170 HGV movements per week day – the majority between 4am and 7am and 4pm and 7pm.
Prologic said: “By restricting HGV traffic to the short length of Felixstowe Road between the Levington A14 junction and the site ingress/egress, potential for non-negligible impacts on Felixstowe Road be will controlled. Potential impacts will be negligible in the context of the A14.”
However, Levington and Stratton Hall Parish Council is deeply concerned.
It says the plan is “inappropriate, detrimental and dangerous”. It claims the A14 Levington junction is “very dangerous” for use by slow moving vehicles and fears some trucks will use Felixstowe Road from Seven Hills or the single-track linkroad between the village and Trimley.
The council says when Operation Stack – where lorries park up on Felixstowe Road when the Port of Felixstowe is closed in high winds – ends, police impose a rolling road block to allow HGVs to use the junction because they are so slow.
It also fears there will be noise and light pollution for residents living near the site.
Parish councillor Andrew Abram, who lives near the site, said: “I believe this inappropriate application would be a disaster to the Levington and Stratton Hall community, a disaster to this piece our countryside, situated as is on the edge of the AONB, and would also be counterproductive to keeping Ipswich and Felixstowe from coalescing into one urban sprawl.”
Highways England has said a fuill assessment needs to be carried out, and Kirton and Falkenham Parish Council has also objected.
Basic facilities for drivers will also be provided at the development with the construction of a cabin housing showers and a kitchenette.
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