Stradbroke feels backlash from traffic restriction as parishes ask for end to order

With a surge of HGV traffic rolling through narrow streets and causing problems each day, people in Stradbroke have questioned the effectiveness and lack of consultation relating to a traffic restriction order in Eye.

Karen Lynch, who is a member of the parish council in Stradbroke, has called for the experimental Traffic Restriction Order in Eye (TRO) to be stopped so that a full consultation can be carried out.

“All villages have seen an increase recently and that’s the nature of the beast – but there has been a bigger increase since the TRO came in to effect,” she said.

“Our stance is that of course they have to go somewhere, but we’re at a loss as to how this TRO was introduced without any consultation. A plan suitable for all could have been found had there been discussions about it.

“Issues are being felt by a number of villages and I don’t think there is a simply solution, because there will be more HGVs as villages get bigger – and banning them from one place isn’t the answer.

“I’m sure people in Eye will want the order to stay in place, but that’s not feasible, as we all have to deal with HGV traffic. I think the TRO should be stopped so that a consultation can take place.”

The six-month order was put in place in June and is now up for review, with Eye having seen a significant reduction in heavy traffic – but to the detriment of other villages.

Speaking to Diss Express last month, Eye town councillor Tunie Brandon described the TRO as having been implemented for safety reasons following an extensive study.

She added: “We have narrow, medieval roads and there simply isn’t room. I know villages like Hoxne have had more problems since the order was put in place, but they have to go somewhere – and what we really need is to work together on a long-term solution.”

Stradbroke Parish Council has submitted documents to Suffolk County Council’s highways team regarding the impact of the ETRO on the village, including a joint submission from other parishes.

The council’s opening statement reads: “Stradbroke Parish Council has great sympathy for the residents of Eye. However, Eye is a market town and, by its nature, all roads lead to it.

“The parish council submits that redirecting large vehicles that would have travelled through Eye, both with the existing TRO and the experimental TRO, just moves the problem further afield.

“The parish council has, for some time, been working with Suffolk Highways to identify ways to improve highway safety in the parish and does not expect the safety of Stradbroke residents to be put at further risk to help solve a problem in Eye.”

An immediate end to the traffic order in Eye was called for within the statement, which also used annotated maps and photos, along with comments from residents, to highlight the HGV issues faced in the village.

The joint submission highlighted the expectation of knock-on effects for other villages within a feasibility study made prior to the 7.5-tonne limit imposed by the traffic order.

It concluded: “The parishes submit that permanently introducing the 7.5-tonne limit will have a significant adverse impact on the wider network and surrounding areas.

“The feasibility study provides many alternatives, which do not appear to have been explored, some of which would not have affected the neighbouring parishes.

“Suffolk County Council’s responsibility is to provide solutions for all areas not just one, especially when that one solution is to the detriment of others.

“The TRO should be ended immediately and the other options laid out in the feasibility study further investigated.”