Storrington residents unhappy with rat-running lorries working at Sandgate Park Quarry

They say the increase has exacerbated long-standing traffic congestion and air pollution issues in the area.

The increase is due the importation of 1.8 million tonnes of inert waste material to Sandgate Park Quarry at the east of the village, as part of an 11-year restoration scheme for the Water Lane site.

Residents within half a mile of the quarry site received a letter on January 10 from contractors of the restoration – Inert Recycling (UK) Ltd – assuring residents that the additional traffic would not pass through the village, once the work commenced on January 17.

But on January 12 and 13, residents say they spotted a pair of tipper lorries showing the ‘Inert’ logo on the B2139 road several times, travelling back and forth between Amberley and Storrington before the allocated start date.

Inert Recycling UK told residents material was to make a roadway to where inert waste will be unloaded at the quarry and would comprise no more than two loads and four movements though the village per day.

Then, on January 17, a resident recorded 21 of IRUK’s lorries passing his house on Amberley Road. And an increased number of tipper lorries of other carriers were seen, some of which were not the regular carriers exporting sand from the quarry.

The approved route for the lorries involves a transit of Arundel, which is often prone to traffic delays.

Storrington resident David Fellows said: "[During the week commencing January 17] an increased number of tipper lorries of other carriers were seen, some of which were not the regular carriers exporting sand from the quarry.

"Several of these with the same logos were seen exiting the building site at Amberley and turning west and also discharging material at the quarry. Although it is not possible to say these were the same vehicles, their previous scarcity in the village suggests this was so.

"If IRUK are sub-contracting moving infill to other carriers it is impossible to detect and report any rat-running."

Currently, 1.4 million tons of sand remains at the quarry and Mr Fellows said West Sussex County Council (WSCC) told Storrington residents it estimated that between 44 and 66 HGV movements per day would be required to move it at the current rate of extraction and this will continue for about ten years.

None of this traffic is restricted and most of it comes through the centre of Storrington, Mr Fellows said.

He said: "Heavy vehicle traffic through the centre of Storrington already comprises 5 to 6% of the total. They are all diesel-powered and the contribution of each to air pollution is many times that of the average vehicle.

"Any significant increase in pollution due to quarry-restoration vehicles evading their prescribed routing will easily outweigh the very modest improvements to air quality in Storrington made since the declaration of an Air Quality Management Areas in 2010."

On January 10, a resident made a request to WSCC councillor Paul Marshall for details of the ANPR (automatic number plate recognition) system, which was required to be installed to ensure vehicles carrying infill used the approved route.

Mr Fellows said details of the ANPR system were received on January 20, which stated that there was a single steerable CCTV camera positioned to view the quarry entrance, which records and retains images for one month.

Although the camera has ANPR capability, Mr Fellows said the camera can only record vehicles turning to and from the quarry entrance from Water Lane. It cannot see which direction they arrive or leave on the A283.

Mr Fellows said a complaint has been sent to the WSCC Planning Compliance and Monitoring Officer, with a suggestion that additional cameras on the A283 are required, together with automatic monitoring of individual vehicles to detect evasion. As well as suggesting that the steering of the existing camera be disabled.

Inert Recycling UK said in a statement: "Inert Recycling Inert are aware of complaints associated with our HGVs travelling on the B2139 between Amberley and Storrington on January 17 and 18.

"This has been discussed with West Sussex County Council and robust measures for the monitoring of HGV traffic importing inert material to Sandgate Park Quarry, as approved by the planning authority, are in place.

"Inert have worked successfully with communities in West Sussex and the South Downs National Park to ensure the impact of our HGVs is minimised as much as possible when facilitating other approved quarry restoration works. Inert are engaging with representatives from Storrington & Sullington and look forward to building a positive working relationship for the duration of the restoration programme."

West Sussex County Council spokesperson said: “We have been made aware of the concerns regarding vehicle movements. These matters are being reviewed and we are in correspondence with the operator of Sandgate Park Quarry to ensure ongoing compliance with their obligations under the planning permission and legal agreement.”

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