Traffic chaos will continue in Lanark

Following discussion on these two important `green’ issues, the town’s Community Council generally concluded that there was little - if anything - it could do about it either.

The meeting heard claims that the use by HGVs of ancient, narrow streets like the Wellgate was causing unacceptable levels of pollution for those who lived and worked there.

This was stated by Lanark’s Independent member of South Lanarkshire Council, Ed Archer, who also told Community Council members that, the health impact apart, the 40-tonne vehicles were constantly causing damage to underground service pipes and cables, most of them originally laid quite shallowly under the roads many decades ago, before the days of the HGV and the satellite navigation systems which `told’ their drivers to go through the centre of the town as the shortest route from A to B.

Ed stated that he thought the only solution was a ban on heavy lorries from Lanark town centre, an exception being made for delivery vehicles serving shops and businesses.

However, the Lanark Churches representative on the community council, the Rev Bryan Kerr, was pessimistic about this ever happening; while agreeing that HGVs being routed through Lanark was “mismanagement of the traffic system”, he added: “You’ll never get a ban on HGVs.”