Neglected Bury St Edmunds road resembles ‘war-torn Beirut’

Residents are suffering sleepless nights because heavy goods vehicles are having to use a Bury St Edmunds road in such bad condition it has been likened to ‘war torn Beirut’.

Colin Payne says living near Holderness Road is a ‘nightmare’ because noise from HGVs using the damaged road to exit and, in some cases, enter the sugar beet factory causes ‘a continual disturbance 24/7’ to residents on the north side of Hollow Road.

He wants Suffolk County Council to deliver on its ‘false promises’ and was surprised to find the road - which he says resembles ‘war-torn Beirut’ - had been overlooked during recent repairs at the nearby Eastern Way Industrial Estate.

Cllr Trevor Beckwith said the council had ‘assured’ him it would be repaired during the 2014 financial year, information he relayed to the long-suffering residents, which it has failed to do.

He said: “We’re all really annoyed about the time it’s taking to get done. It’s not a pothole, it’s a great big crater.

“It’s not just the inconvenience for the trucks, you’ve got to bear in mind that it’s the exit for the factory and empty trucks rattle around a lot more than full trucks - people are getting woken up by rattling throughout the night.

“It’s not the drivers’ fault and it’s not British Sugar’s fault - it’s Suffolk County Council’s fault.”

“Mike Blowers, British Sugar’s factory manager, said: “We have been made aware by beet delivery vehicle operators, our staff and local residents of increasingly worsening potholes in Holderness Road and we have reported the issue to Suffolk County Council as required.

“We hope this issue will be resolved as quickly as possible for all parties concerned.”

A spokesman for the county council said it was ‘seeking to escalate’ delivery of a designed scheme of works ‘in view of the deteriorating condition of the road’ and would carry out reactive works in meantime.