YATFON,

       STOWELL                                                                                                             ARNOLDS WAY,

                                                                                                                                    BRISTOL, BS49 40N

CONCRETE LIMITED

Tel:   (01934) 834000

Fax:  (01934) 835474

www.stowellconcrete.co.uk

 

 

 

 

 

tel: 01275 888888 fax: 01275 888569

 

 

19th December 2006

 

Mr D Lovell

Development and Environment Department

Somerset House

Oxford Street

Weston super Mare

North Somerset                                                -

BS23 1TG

 

Dear Darren,

 

Please find spreadsheet below, which I have completed as per your guidelines. I have taken 12 of the 32 journeys, which is a cross section of the survey.

 

Looking at the A368 I B3134 Burlington Coombe route, of the 32 journeys and speaking to LGY

drivers, we looked at 12 of 32 journeys. We put destination / origin in Autoroute to see which was more efficient. The computer went via Churchill / Lower Langford and we had to redirect it via Sidcot /

Rodney Stoke / Wells etc to get it to use A371 as it didn’t want to by choice, and via Whitchurch / Bedminster Down, to make the Autoroute use the A4174.

 

Yatton to Holcombe times on the Autoroute are 42 mins (B3134) and 61 mins (A371). The actual times taken in an LGV are 70 mins (B3 134) and 105 mins (A371), which are 67% and 73% more than

respective car times on Autoroute. Therefore suggest plus 70% to make Autoroute times comparable to LGV actual drive times.

 

 

 

Time

x 1.7

Miles

RFR is;

Additional Cost

1

Yatton-Holcombe

B3 134

42

71

25

+6 miles
+ 33 minutes

£22

2

pJP~.

A37 1

61

104

31

 

 

3

Yatton-Frome

B3 134

55

94

33

+ 5 miles
+30 minutes

£20

4

RFR

A37 1

73

124

38

 

 

5

Yatton-Warminster

B3 134

66

112

42

+    15 miles
+        60 minutes

£40

6

RFR

A41 74

91

155

48

 

 

7

Redhill-Shepton Mallet

B3134

32

54

22

+3 miles
+28 minutes

£18

8

RFR

A371

48

82

25

 

 

9

Redhill-Oldford

B3134

54

92

34

+ 4 miles
+3Omjnutes

£20

10

RFR

A371

72

122

38

 

 

11

Redhill-Radstock

B3134

39

66

25

+0 miles
+22 minutes

£15

12

RFR

A4174

52

88

25

 

 

13

WSM—Frome

B3134

61

104

37

+2 miles
+24 minutes

£16

14

RFR

A371

75

128

39

 

 

15

WSM-Warminster

B3134

68

116

45

+ 2 miles
+27 minutes

£18

16

RFR

A371

84

143

47

 

 

17

WSM-Radstock

B3134

51

87

30

+7 miles
+41 minutes

£27

18

RFR

A371

75

128

37

 

 

19

Flax Bourton-Binegar

B3 134

37

63

25

- 3 miles + 7 minutes

£5

20

RFR

A4 174

41

70

22

 

 

 

 

21    Flax Bourton-Salisbuiy  B3134         98        167      66         - 8 miles             £7

 

22 RFR                           A41 74 104   177  58         + 10 minutes

 

23    Chelvey-Wincanton      B3 134         58         99  37    +9 miles      £27

 

24 RFR           A4174   82   139  46    +40 minutes

 

 

 

Comments re above table:­Assuming the lorry does each of these journeys and returns the same route as he went out, any time / mileage differences are doubled. The increase in mileage if a lorry did these 12 journeys and returned the same route is 66 miles, but more importantly, takes an extra 670 minutes, which is an extra 1’/4 days.

 

 

To do the above work using A368 / B3 134 the lorry would be finished by Thursday night, whereas using RFR, the lorry would have to work Friday as well as a couple of hours Saturday a.m.

 

 

Routes 2, 4, 8, 10, 14, 16, & 18: A371:Passes through 10 villages on an extremely slow road.

 

 

Routes 6, 12, 20, 22 & 24 A4174:Severe congestion in South Bristol which can add over one hour to a journey.

 

B6 Yatton to Warminster RFR is not 4 miles shorter, it is 6 miles longer and takes an extra 45 minutes each way.

 

 

B15 Redfield to Oldfield RFR is not 0.9 mile shorter, it is an extra 4 miles and takes an extra 30 minutes each way.

 

 

B18 WSM toWarminster RFR is not 0.5 mile shorter, it is 2 miles longer and takes an extra 27 minutes each way.

 

B21 Redhill to Radstock RFR is the same distance but takes an extra 22 minutes each way.

 

B30 WSM to Frome RFR is not 0.8 mile longer, it is 2 miles longer and takes an extra 24 minutes each way.

 

B33 Yatton to Frome RFR is not 0.9 mile longer, it is 5 miles longer and takes an extra 30 minutes each way.

 

B36 Redhill to Shepton Mallet RFR is not 1.6 miles longer, it is 3 miles longer and takes an extra 28 minutes each way.

 

B39 Yatton to Holcombe RFR is not 7.1 miles longer, it is 6 miles longer but takes an extra 33 minutes each way.

 

B54 Chelvey to Wincanton RFR is not obviously shorter, it is 9 miles longer and takes an extra 40 minutes each way.

 

B57 Flax Bourton to Binegar RFR is obviously shorter (by 3 miles) but takes an extra 7 minutes each way.

 

 

B60 Flax Bourton to Salisbury RFR is obviously shorter (by 8 miles) but takes an extra 10 minutes each way.

 

 

It is quire obvious, that although in some situations the RFR is shorter in terms of mileage, the additional driving time marked would make many of these deliveries unprofitable. Using routes such as the A371 between Cheddar and Shepton Mallet a vehicle passes through approximately 10 villages with various ‘pinch-points’. This uses far more fuel, takes much longer, which in turn obviously produces more pollution, which is totally against Government Policy on the environment. Surely it is common sense not to use such a route. From Burrington Coombe to the A37 vehicles pass very few houses.

 

Unfortunately increased costs incurred by ourselves as manufacturers cannot be passed onto our customers, they will simply buy elsewhere from one of the many block-makers in the Mendip area.

 

The TMTV analysis of the freight survey contains many inaccuracies, such as the proposed route from Warminster to Yatton, a copy of which I enclose. As you concluded, over 80% of vehicles you stopped were on the best route for their particular journey. As nearly 100% of the origins and destinations are within the Mendip area I think that it would be safe to conclude that any weight restriction would barely affect local businesses.

 

 

 

 

The major problem for us on operations is the additional driving time. As I am sure you are aware, drivers hours are strictly controlled by EU Legislation. Using the RFR would mean that more drivers would be required to cover the same amount of hours, making our operations unprofitable. This would inevitably lead to a reduction in employment and possible relocation of our business to another area.

 

To conclude I believe the best course of action is for operators to continue to use the A368/B3 134 to cross the Mendips as it is the most direct, cost effective and environmentally friendly route.

 

 

Yours sincerely

 

 

Nic Huff

Operations Manager

Stowell Concrete Ltd