Suffolk County Council has been urged to take action addressing long-running problems of noise and pollution from lorries on Moreton Hall in Bury St Edmunds.

Homes in the Moreton Hall area in Bury St Edmunds have reported being plagued by persistent noise problems of trucks rattling through Orttewell Road.

While some of those HGVs are heading to and from Suffolk Park and Suffolk Business Park, it was recognised many were vehicles cutting the corner of the A14 connecting to the A134 and A143.

Councillor Trevor Beckwith has been battling on behalf of residents for solutions to the problem for a number of years, and brought a ‘call to action’ to Thursday’s West Suffolk Council scrutiny committee meeting in a last ditch attempt for a solution.

The meeting heard that while trucks were meant to use Junction 45 of the A14 to avoid disturbing homes, many didn’t because they wanted to avoid the series of roundabouts or satellite navigation systems used J44, which was closer to homes.

The committee has urged Suffolk County Council to work on a host of measures.

They include:

  • Signage at the business parks and A14 encouraging use of J45
  • Monitoring of HGV flows, noise levels and pollution in Orttewell Road
  • Investigation into traffic orders to ban HGVs from Orttewell Road
  • Analysis of lorry parking in the area

Kerry Allen, principal transport towns planner at Suffolk County Council said: “This isn’t Suffolk County Council sitting on its hands saying there’s nothing we can do – we have continued to engage and there are a number of things we can take away and investigate but I do want to make it clear that a lot of this is about funding and the availability of funding.”

Nic Rumsey, managing director of Suffolk Park developers Jaynic, said the firm would be prepared to make a financial contribution for improved signs.

Cllr Beckwith said: “Since the opening of the ERR [Eastern Relief Road] and improved J45 in September 2017, HGV traffic in residential areas, notably Orttewell Road, Bedingfield Way and Skyliner Way has increased to an unacceptable level with serious negative impact on residential amenity through noise, vibration and pollution.”

Local residents also gave representations. Melanie Soanes said it had become “almost unbearable” and added: “It’s like another trunk road next to our houses.”