Aghast Devon residents braced for years of lorry misery

Locals are up in arms over a new landfill plan

A revised plan which could see dozens of lorries head through tiny Mid Devon villages has been put forward. Waste disposal firm Decharge Ltd has lodged an application with the council to construct the landfill site at land at Greenway in the village of Uplowman.

The Greenway Landfill applicant has submitted new documents in response to previous objections from council officers, experts and residents.

The key change is routing HGVs through Uplowman and Sampford Peverell, operating 8am to 6pm.

Residents and the council are provisionally intending to report the application to the next meeting of the Development Management Committee on October 23.

A Devon County Council spokesperson said: "“The applicant has revised the lorry routing and this is the subject of a further consultation that runs until October 3. We will take into account all responses to this and earlier consultations, together with responses from relevant consultees including DCC Highways."

A spokesperson for Uplowman Community Hub said: “Despite this, the core issue remains: years of 40-ton HGVs causing noise, dust, traffic, and danger to pedestrians, cyclists, horse-riders and other drivers.”

The plan could result in 40-tonne HGV lorries navigating the estate's narrow roads 'every 7.5 minutes'. The land earmarked for waste disposal was previously exploited as an illegal dumping ground.

Local residents stress their opposition isn't rooted in 'nimbyism', but they harbour concerns about increased traffic and the potential for the site to be used for nuclear waste disposal in the future - a suggestion refuted by Devon County Council.

The spokesperson said: “It's important to reiterate: the Residents Against Greenway Landfill campaign represents the whole affected area, including Sampford Peverell, Uplowman, Braid Park, Post Hill, and more. We're all in this together regardless of the proposed haul route – this affects everyone.

“Act now. Submit objections by Thursday, October 3. A decision may come on October 23, and we'll need a strong in-person presence to protect our community.”

A list of concerns included: “The haul route through Sampford Peverell and Uplowman is unsafe for heavy goods vehicles (HGVs). The roads are narrow, lack pavements in many places, and are used by children walking to school particularly at Uplowman Cross. The increased traffic poses serious safety risks, especially near Uplowman Primary School, where children walk alongside the proposed route. Their plan does not address how to mitigate the safety risks for pedestrians, cyclists, and residents.
“Notably, there's no description of the narrow & busy nature of the road through Sampford Peverell, no mention of the recent narrowing of the lanes approaching Sampford Peverell bridge; nor anything related to the increased traffic and parking that come with the busy train station (especially when rail replacement services create havoc).”

Campaigners also say a full and thorough Traffic Assessment has still not been conducted, despite the significant increase in HGV traffic expected plus the general increase seen in the area in recent years.

The spokesperson added: “The noise, dust, and vibrations from the increased HGV traffic will harm the quality of life for local residents. This will affect not only health but also the peaceful, rural character of our villages. There are no 'receptors' considered on the closest part of the Canal towpath between Swing Bridge and Rock Bridge, and HGVs will pass directly over Grand Western Canal's Conservation Area when they cross Sampford Peverell bridge.

“The Tiverton Eastern Urban Extension required the new A361 junction to relieve traffic through villages east of Tiverton - suggesting more traffic uses a route directly through Sampford Peverell and Uplowman directly contravenes the significant (and incomplete) investment.

“The applicant is proposing to track vehicle movements by GPS but provides no detail about the consequences of any breach or visibility to the public. This would only apply to tracked vehicles and not any subcontractors as is typical, relying instead on residents to report it.”