Hitchin Forum has called on North Hertfordshire District Council and Hertfordshire County Council to explain why neither authority commented on plans that significantly increased the permitted throughput of a Hitchin scrapyard despite years of complaints from residents about HGV traffic.

The community group says it has long been concerned about the number of large lorries travelling to and from the two scrapyards off Wallace Way and Cadwell Lane.

According to a traffic study commissioned in 2019 by the then owners of the Wallace Way site, the scrapyard generated 236 HGV movements on a typical weekday.

Hitchin Forum argues that the volume of lorry traffic has a major impact on residents' quality of life, citing concerns over noise, air pollution, vibration, road safety and debris falling from vehicles.

The group also points to the risk posed by fires at scrap processing sites and says the industrial traffic is operating within a largely residential environment.

With the assistance of Forum member and county councillor Ian Albert, the organisation made enquiries about the site's operating permissions and discovered that in 2022 the Environment Agency approved a substantial increase in permitted throughput at the Wallace Way scrapyard.

The daily limit was increased from 1,250 tonnes to 2,000 tonnes, while the annual limit rose from 285,000 tonnes to 500,000 tonnes – increases of 60 per cent and 75 per cent respectively.

According to the Forum, the Environment Agency told them it had consulted both North Hertfordshire District Council and Hertfordshire County Council on the proposed increases but received no comments from either authority.

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The group says it is "astonished" that neither council responded, particularly given the history of complaints from local residents about HGV traffic linked to the scrapyards.

It also claims to have been informed that councillors were not told that the Environment Agency had sought comments on the application.

In its blog post, the Forum says: "The increases were apparently approved with no thought of residents' concerns regarding unacceptable impacts on local roads at the existing levels of throughput, never mind if that throughput was increased by 60% and 75%."

The group has questioned whether councillors should seek a review of the decision-making process and has highlighted the Grove Road Industrial Area Petition submitted in January 2021, which documented residents' concerns about HGV traffic and pedestrian safety.

Hitchin Forum says it understands the current operator of the Wallace Way scrapyard is continuing to work within the previous lower limits. However, it warns that the higher permitted tonnages remain in place and could be used by current or future operators.

The organisation is now calling for answers from both councils and asking what steps can be taken to reduce permitted tonnages and ultimately remove heavy scrap lorry traffic from residential streets in Hitchin.