RESIDENTS fear years of campaigning for a lorry ban on a busy road have come to nothing after a temporary order was scrapped.

For more than 12 years, residents of Merlin Way, Covingham, have petitioned for a ban on heavy goods vehicles of 7.5 tonnes or more which use the road as a shortcut to the M4 and Dorcan Industrial Estate.

Despite installing a temporary restriction order (TRO) on the road for 18 months, earlier this week Swindon Borough Councillor Dale Heenan, cabinet member for transport, announced the order will instead apply to neighbouring Kingfisher Drive.

The decision, which has angered several Merlin Way residents, was taken after consultation evidence showed only two people supported the campaign to make the temporary order permanent.

“I’m absolutely fuming,” said 47-year-old Debbie Fitchett, who was part of the campaign to bring the TRO into effect. “We have been fighting for this for more than 12 years.

“He put it all over his election leaflets and in his campaign, which we didn’t mind but many people would have voted for him because of it, and now he’s putting it on Kingsfisher Drive instead.

“They have their own problems obviously but they didn’t do any campaigning for it.

“We didn’t campaign for it just for the fun of it. It was put in place because those lorries come down Merlin Way and shake and damage our houses. They are noisy and they use it as a rat run.”

Brian Osbourn, chairman of the Covingham Parish Council, was also disappointed with the decision.

Coun Heenan said: “The consultation evidence to make the temporary 18 month weight limit permanent or let it expire this month couldn’t be more clear cut.

“Wanborough Parish [Council] objected to it being permanent, members of Covingham Parish [Council] objected, along with 46 people from Covingham and 19 in Wanborough.

“Only two people supported the weight limit on Merlin Way being made permanent. Mrs Fitchett was one.”