Audlem road safety campaigners are celebrating victory this week in their 40-year fight to stop lorries driving through the village.
News of the Government’s decision to declassify the A525 road linking Shropshire, Staffordshire and Cheshire was announced at Audlem Parish Council’s annual village meeting on Wednesday.
It means the road will no longer appear on satellite navigation systems and road maps as a primary route, diverting lorries away from Audlem.
The problem was identified as a primary issue for villagers in a Parish Plan published in 2005 and campaigners now hope to ask for weight restrictions to be put on Audlem’s roads.
Bob Cartwright, editor of Audlem Online, said: “We’re absolutely delighted because it’s been a long campaign and the most recent part of it started with the Parish Plan.
“Ninety seven per cent of people in Audlem said they wanted to see the number of long-distance HGVs passing through the village reduced and a committee that looked at this aspiration said declassifying the road was the best way forward.
“Our local MP Stephen O’Brien has helped with this, emphasising the human rights aspects and the health and safety issues.”
Derek McKelvey, who helped set up Audlem District Amenities Society (ADAS) 40 years ago to fight the issue, said: “I began to despair because we went all over Cheshire and Staffordshire trying to get this through.
“We came very close but it was held up by one of the county councils and now it has suddenly come to fruition.”
Parish council vice chairman Councillor Mike Hill said: “I’m absolutely delighted with the news and it means the start of looking forward to less of these HGVs coming through Audlem.
“It won’t necessarily happen straight away because maps will have to be altered but once this happens and people update their satnavs, we’ll be there.
“We’re also going to apply for weight limits to be put on lorries but we need to be careful as we don’t want to restrict what the farmers do.”
Cheshire East councillor Jamie Macrae said: “I’m pleased the road has now been reclassified, because high volumes of traffic on the A525 have had a significant impact in many areas, particularly in Audlem where this has been problematic.”
By Winston Brown