Bin lorries will have to avoid busy route

Hundreds of lorries carrying rubbish to a proposed new incinerator near Cannock will not be allowed to travel along the A5, it has been announced.

Staffordshire County Council has bowed to pressure from residents and councillors who were concerned the increased traffic would cause more congestion, traffic accidents and damage air quality in Bridgtown.

The area is already part of an air quality management zone because of the large amount of traffic using the A5 and local councillors feared the increase would seriously damage people's health.

Now bosses at Staffordshire County Council, who are forging ahead with plans to construct an incinerator at Four Ashes Industrial estate have said they will make it a condition within the transport contract to prevent trucks using the A5 through Bridgtown, or the A460 through Wedges Mills, to reach the site.

This will affect all traffic to the incinerator from the direction of Burton, Tamworth, Walsall and Sandwell. A majority of the traffic will now have to use either the M6, M6 Toll or the A449.

The news was welcomed by Councillor Eddie Smith, chairman of Bridgtown Parish Council, who said: "This is a victory for common sense. We already have problems with the A5, so to add to that would have been crazy. It's good to see the county council taking notice."

He said the parish council still wanted the project scrapped over fears it would damage health and added Cannock was the dumping ground for other councils.

Councillor Tony Williams, cabinet member for environment at Cannock Chase Council, said: "This is good news for the area."

Staffordshire County Council want to construct the £122 million incinerator, which will burn 300,000 tonnes of rubbish a year.

Ian Benson, waste director at Staffordshire County Council, said: "The county council has listened to the views expressed through our extensive consultation."