News

Plans to convert a former lorry park in Norfolk into housing have been attacked by the council after residents started complaining about HGVs parking all over the town.

Diss Town Council says it is receiving "more and more complaints" about lorries parking on greens since an application  was submitted to create 40 flats and maisonettes on the former transport depot near the A140.

Planning committee chairman Simon Olander says trucks parked overnight on the land until Lexham Property Management, the land owner, decided to build the homes.

He says: "The town council is receiving more and more complaints from people around the parish about anti-social parking of HGVs. There are greens in the town; and they think it's right and proper to drive HGVs on there."

In a submission to South Norfolk Council, the town council says: "The loss of this site as a lorry park will be (and already  has been) detrimental as lorries are currently causing problems by parking all over the town."

However, property agent Anthony Pettifer says any agreement to park trucks on the land was unofficial and was never popular with drivers because no facilities were offered.

"It's an emotive subject," he adds. "There's a big reduction in lorry parks on trunk roads and motorways for various reasons. Although it had been identified as a lorry park, and some sort of agreement had been reached historically, we had no involvement."

But Pettifer adds that the town council's objection "will carry weight and have to be addressed".