Lorry rumbles go on despite bypass, villagers say

Villagers are urging lorry drivers to use a new bypass instead of "blindly following their sat navs" along an old route.

The new A391 linking St Austell to the A30 opened in May after three years of work, diverting vehicles away from the villages of Bugle and Stenalees.

However, residents said large lorries were still passing through the villages, causing congestion and "never-ending" rumbling.

The Road Haulage Association said it advised hauliers to use HGV-specific sat navs, while Cornwall Council said it was continuing to monitor how drivers used the road.

Stenalees resident Sarah Allum said she was woken up "religiously" every morning from about 03:30.

"My windows rattle, we have cracks from the trundling, it's never-ending," she explained. "There's never really a quiet moment on this road."

Allum, who has lived in the village for nine years, added: "They've spent all these millions on this road and it's supposed to have benefited these local villages but it hasn't at all.

"We need more road signs to direct people up the new road."

Carolyn Elday, also from Stenalees, said the village road was "dangerous" with HGV drivers "weaving through narrow areas".

She said weight restrictions and access-only signs could help relieve some of the congestion.

"I park on the road and it's like dicing with death every time I get in and out of the car," she said.

Cornwall councillor Steve Trevelyan, who represents Roche and Bugle, said he was concerned about the safety of pedestrians along the narrow road.

"When a big lorry travels through Stenalees and Bugle, I've had reports from people their house rumbles and their windows shake," he said.

"A lot of lorries, for whatever reason, are blindly following their sat navs."

Cornwall Council said construction was under way on new crossing points, path improvements and traffic calming in Bugle.

"We will review traffic patterns when this work has been completed and consider whether any further measures are needed," a spokesperson said.

"There are industrial units, garages and other businesses along the former A391 which require regular deliveries, meaning some HGV and light vehicle traffic will continue to use the road to access their destinations."

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