The Cannock Chase MP has been contacted by many angry Rugeley residents and businesses who are incredibly frustrated by the number of lorries parking up overnight in the streets and business parks in and around Rugeley.
This so called 'HGV fly parking' is not only an inconvenience to road and footpath users, it a safety hazard and also sees residents and businesses plagued by litter left behind by drivers, with some even reporting excrement being thrown over fences onto properties and business premises.
With no facilities available locally the Cannock Chase MP has again urged for action to be taken to address the problem as well as highlighting the need for provision to be made for HGV facilities to be included when plans are being drawn up for distribution centres.
Over the last year, Amanda Milling has been in regular contact with Staffordshire County Council and Staffordshire Police on behalf of residents and businesses and recently met with representatives from Amazon, which is often the destination of many of the lorries in question.
Amanda Milling said: "I am getting an increasing number of complaints from residents and businesses from Rugeley who are understandably fed up of having large lorries littering our streets and business parks. Despite months of dialogue with various organisations they are still faced with the problem of HGVs parking outside their homes and businesses. If anything, it is getting worse. Some of the problems people have faced in terms of the litter being left by drivers is frankly disgusting. I also raised the issue with Amazon at a recent meeting, as more often than not it is lorries heading to the fulfilment centre in Rugeley that are causing the problem. I will continue pushing all the relevant organisations to address the issue of fly-parking as we can't go on like this.
The Cannock Chase MP is also calling on the government and local planners to put more measures in place to ensure the appropriate facilities are provided where large logistics parks and distribution centres are being planned.
Amanda added: "Whilst Cannock Chase is well connected by our motorway and road network, Rugeley is some distance from any HGV parking facilities. We do not have adequate facilities for lorries to park up which has resulted in the problems which residents and businesses are reporting to me. This is the symptom and highlights the need to consider the transport infrastructure when plans for logistics and distribution centres are being developed."
The Cannock Chase MP also warned developers to take this issue into consideration when the site of Rugeley B Power Station is being redeveloped.
Amanda added: “In my view, Rugeley’s infrastructure cannot cope as it is and therefore careful consideration needs to be given to the type of business and industrial development that is included in the plans for the power station site. I do not believe that the infrastructure is in place in Rugeley to support the development of more distribution centres. In my view we need to focus the redevelopment on high technology and advanced manufacturing businesses, not more distribution centres.”
The MP has recently called for "ambitious, bold and visionary" plans for Rugeley's redevelopment and has written to Cannock Chase District Council, Staffordshire County Council and the Local Enterprise Partnerships to push for a development plan that builds a sustainable local economy, attracting businesses that will create highly skilled jobs for the residents of Rugeley and the wider Cannock Chase area.