Readers of the Climate section of Aggregate Industries' latest Sustainability Report will rightly wonder what on earth "Geofencing at Westleigh Quarry" – (an effort to enforce a 20mph limit for AI’s HGVs past Burlescombe School in Mid Devon) – has to do with global warming. Readers might conclude that AI hasn’t got much to say about tackling climate change and CO2 emissions, but needed to fill the page with something more than re-establishing baselines; readers might also conclude that AI’s HGV drivers can’t be trusted to stick to speed limits – even when passing a primary school – without a "geofence" in place:
At our Westleigh quarry and asphalt plant in North Devon [sic], the route to the nearby M5 motorway takes vehicles through the nearby village of Burlescombe. For many years we have had a voluntary agreement not to allow any vehicles through the village during school opening and closing (8:40-9:05 and 15:20-15:40) this has worked very well as vehicles were held on site.
The site also has an agreement to restrict vehicle speed through the village at all times to 20mph, but this was more difficult to police. Now, by using the navigation system we have fitted to our hauliers we have set up a "geofence" that automatically alerts the Transport Department if vehicles exceed the 20mph limit. In the rare instances where a haulier does exceed the 20mph limit we now have the evidence to prove it, making the conversation with the haulier more productive.
We posted about Burlescombe School in November. In contrast with AI’s gold-plated version above, the residents do not think that the voluntary agreement "has worked very well" – in fact, quite the reverse. According to the response by Burlescombe Parish Council to a recent application by AI to extend Westleigh Quarry:
3) We would also like to point out the negative effects the Quarry HGV’s are having on Burlescombe Primary School: a. They have effectively stunted the growth of the school due to parents concerns over the safety of their children wholly generated by lorry movements past the school at all times of the day. b. There had been a verbal agreement with the previous head teacher concerning lorry movement restrictions (an agreement to stop and wait) within school drop-off and pick-up times (not always upheld). We would request that this agreement is formalised.
c) SS: 7.8 to 7.19 — Whilst accepting that the current proposal remains within the current permissions, a majority of residents who have voiced their opinions in Open Forum’s or online to the Council feel strongly that the rules are continuously broken — lorries travelling through Burlescombe in convoy, within restricted times around school drop-off and pick-up times, in excess of the speed limits, and un-sheeted.
So, seemingly another tale from AI’s South West spin-centre in Frome – this time endorsed by Corporate HQ – that doesn’t square with reality. Goodness, can you believe anything from this company?
