ANGRY residents hit out as the number of daily heavy goods vehicle deliveries through their village to Uskmouth power station is set to be almost doubled.

Home-owners in Nash, Newport, are worried that the increased traffic will cause damage to homes and will increase danger on the roads.

But Scottish and Southern Energy PLC (SSE), which runs the site, says it has no alternative because it has struggled to attract a freight rail contractor.

Previously there were 24 lorries transporting ash from the power station, but as of Monday, 20 lorries per day began bringing in loads of up to 30 tonnes of coal each between 7.30am and 5pm, taking care to avoid the times of the outgoing lorries.

Station managers said they expect the number of outbound lorries to drop to ten a day in some weeks as they have been clearing a buildup caused by bad weather.

At full capacity the power station burns 2,000 tonnes of coal a day.

The number of deliveries will increase in the winter months, though it is unclear by how much, until the end of March 2014.

Lorries which transport the coal will be covered and will go through a vehicle wash before leaving the site.

SSE said road deliveries of the same scale last took place during a three-week period in March this year.

Letters have been sent to residents on the transport route and a drop-in information session was held at Nash community hall on Monday night, despite the firm not being obliged to do so, which around 20 people went to to raise queries.

Chris Lloyd, Uskmouth station manager, said: “After exhausting all attempts to secure a new freight rail contract for coal deliveries, we now have no other option than to reimplement some deliveries through the road network.”

Mr Lloyd said the impact was expected to be minimal and the firm is working to keep people informed.

He added: “Transporting coal by rail is very much our preferred option and this is not a financial consideration.

It is more expensive for us to bring in coal supplies by road rather than rail.

“The reality is that long-term energy policy decisions coupled with a short-term increase in demand has made it increasingly difficult to source a rail freight supplier that has availability and is willing to transport to South Wales.”

Lorry transport 'unacceptable' - worried councillors

LLISWERRY councillor Allan Morris said it was an “unacceptable situation” for residents, while his colleague, Cllr Roger Jeavons, said Nash did not have the infrastructure to cope.

Cllr Morris said: “This needs people to sit around the table and as a matter of urgency to sort out the best way to get this coal off the road and onto the railway.

“The residents are angry and clearly anxious, these lorries will impact on their homes and their quality of life.”

Cllr Jeavons added: “I am totally opposed to a movement from rail to road.”

Newport East MP Jessica Morden said: “The company have told me that they are working to minimise the lorry traffic while they work to resolve certain contractual issues with their rail deliveries.

“I’ll be pressing for assurances that everything possible will be done to resolve this issue quickly.”

What residents said:

● Leif Horup, of St Mary’s Road: “It’s terrible. They rush past our house and the whole house moves. There is definitely going to be damage tomywall.A crack just appeared right in the middle. I filled it in and painted it.”

● Bryan Cork, from Goldcliff, addressed power station managers at the public meeting: “We have got narrow roads which are not big enough for two vehicles to pass. This road is getting busier and busier each day of the week. We have got 100,000 going to the Wetlands every year. If there is an accident it will be on your hands.”

● Matthew Tatton said: “Hundreds of lorries a week will be going past my house and I don’t think it’s right when there’s a railway line by the power station.

“Every time a lorry goes past, my house vibrates. The stone and the mortar breaks up. The dust is tremendous. I have to sweep it up regularly.”

● Angela Horup, who lives in St Mary’s Road, Nash, said when lorries were used previously to bring in coal the noise pollution was “disgusting”.

● Jeff Tufft, who lives in West Nash Road, said: “I hate to think what will happen. There’s quite a lot of kids go out on horses there. The driver may not even know he’s hit the horse.”

ARGUS COMMENT: Seek rail answer

WE HAVE sympathy for Newport residents upset over plans by a power station to almost double the number of lorries travelling to and from the plant.

Bosses at Uskmouth power station say they have no choice but to bring in an extra 20 lorry deliveries of coal a day because they have been unable to secure a new rail freight contract.

Scottish and Southern Energy says it is more expensive to bring in around 600 tonnes of coal per day by road. The firm claims it has been unable to find a rail company that is available and willing to transport to South Wales.

While we do not doubt what the firm says, it seems a somewhat perverse situation.

Surely if it is cheaper to transport by rail – and assuming it is profitable for the rail companies – then more trains should be laid on. One would hope the government and other agencies would be all in favour of the greener rail option.

The company deserves credit for talking to Nash residents in a series of meetings on Monday, but words are little comfort to people who face more than 40 lorries rumbling past their houses every day.

It cannot be beyond a large energy company and local politicians to find a solution to this potential problem.

Let us hope it happens sooner rather than later for the sake of local residents.