A LATE night survey of Lancaster's Scotforth Road has revealed that many heavy goods vehicles travel through the city rather than follow the signed route north to Heysham.

Green councillors Tony Pinkney and Emily Heath carried out the survey on Scotforth Road after residents expressed concern that too many heavy lorries were travelling through the residential area.

In a two hour period between 11.30pm and 1.30am they counted no less than 33 lorries on Scotforth Road, mostly northbound, an average of one lorry every four minutes.

Lorries are supposed to use the signed route north to Junction 34 of the M6 to avoid residential Lancaster, but the Greens claim many truckers are ignoring the signs and turning off at junction 33.

Said Tony Pinkney: "Heavy good vehicles create appalling noise on our roads at a time when people are entitled to expect peace and quiet. They belch out diesel fumes and are a danger to residents both day and night. Residents believe that vibrations from the convoys of massive vehicles may even be causing structural damage to their homes."

He added: "I will be contacting the haulage firms to get them to make their heavy goods vehicles use junction 34 to the north of the city. We've had enough metallic monsters at midnight through Scotforth."

During the survey, the councillors named Safeway Stores, Edmondsons and Roadferry as the worst offenders.

According to Lancashire County Council it is actually quicker for vehicles travelling to Heysham to use junction 34.

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