Lorries block Goudhurst twice in two days after getting stuck in Church Lane
Published: 12:17, 27 March 2019
Updated: 12:40, 27 March 2019
Villagers in Goudhurst are calling for change after a lorries blocked the same road twice in two days.
Church Road was left entirely blocked after an HGV got stuck on bollards outside a house on Saturday morning.
Anthony Harris, chair of Goudhurst Parish Council, said the same road had been blocked on Friday.
He said: "It's a nightmare. We get a blockage every other week. On each occasion last week it was for three to four hours.
"We have a continuous problem with traffic and HGVs ignoring all the signs that Goudhurst is unsuitable for long vehicles."
As Church Road bends towards High Street, a house on the bend has bollards outside to protect it from passing traffic.
On Saturday wheels from a passing lorry ended up getting stuck as it tried drive through the quiet village at around 4.30am.
Scott Smith, a chef at the Star and Eagle Hotel, said: "It happens all the time. We live in the hotel so it woke us up.
"It's really difficult. We don't want to lose the volume of traffic on the road, especially for the local shops, as it's valuable passing trade.
"The village is in uproar about it. We live in the hotel so it woke us up."
Last Thursday a passing lorry scraped and damaged a wall at the bottom of St Mary's Church.
Cllr Harris said: "All of this traffic is heading towards Ashford and Dover, but their Sat Navs take them through the villages rather than via the M20.
"This is a problem for a number of villages in Kent.
"Right now we're in discussion with Kent Highways and Highways England to discuss putting measures in place such as traffic lights and road markings to try and stop the problem."
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Luke May