COVINGHAM residents angry about plans to move a lorry ban to a neighbouring road have handed two petitions and 34 letters to those behind the move.

Last week (July22) residents in Merlin Way, who campaigned for more than 12 years for a ban on heavy goods vehicles (HGVs) of 7.5 tonnes or more which use the road as a shortcut to the M4 and Dorcan Industrial Estate rather than using the busy A419, were told the temporary order had been scrapped and a permanent order would be applied to nearby Kingfisher Drive.

The decision was taken by Swindon Borough Council after consultation evidence showed only two people supported the campaign to make permanent the temporary order on Merlin Drive, which was in place for 18 months.

But on Monday(July27) resident Debbie Fitchett delivered two petitions of signatures collected in just 24 hours and 34 letters from residents opposing the move to the council.

The 47-year-old said: "Funny what you can achieve if residents involved are told. Over 100 signatures on a petition in just over a day just proves the residents were kept in the dark."

Andy Westall, who also lives in Merlin Way, said: "I live on Merlin Way and I was aware of the weight restriction that had been put in place but it was only last week that we were made aware of it being lifted.

"Nobody has asked our opinion about doing this and it makes me wonder on who's behalf the council is acting, certainly not the residents.

"We have no problem with a weight restriction being put in place on Kingfisher Drive this should be so even though there are no houses directly on this road as there are on Merlin Way.

"It stops Kingfisher Drive becoming a rat run and affecting the properties whose boundaries back on or who are close to this road.There is also a school close to this road.

"The only people that are going to benefit from the restriction on Merlin Way being lifted are the developers of the proposed site to the east of the A419, which will create our own heavy duty rat run."

Last week councillor Dale Heenan (Con, Covingham and Dorcan), cabinet member for transport, said during the consultation, Wanborough Parish Council objected proposals to make permanent the TRO on merlin Way, as did members of Covingham Parish Council and 46 Covingham residents and 19 Wanborough residents, prompting the decision to move it to Kingfisher Drive..

He said: "This support is great to see. I have championed the Merlin Way weight limit for many years, and want it to be permanent, but the legal maximum time of 18 months allowed for the temporary traffic regulation order has passed so the weight limit expired.

" I've been on holiday for the last two weeks but spoken at length with several residents, and there appears to be a lot of misinformation going around, and a case of shoot the messenger.

"The weight limit has always been about HGVs cutting through Covingham, and a weight limit on Kingfisher means HGVs are still unable to use Merlin Way for this route. Little has changed.

"Instead of do nothing, Officers have agreed, at my request, to investigate a new weight limit for Merlin Way based on preventing heavy lorries outside of normal working hours when people are at home from work and school. In addition, the same restrictions can be placed on any construction traffic from the future Eastern Villages like Redlands which are at least a couple of years away."