What We Learned from the Tru7 Exhibition — And Why It Matters More Than Ever

At the Tru7 exhibition on 21st February, we got a closer look at the proposed plans for the industrial pit. While certain claims—such as a supposed decrease in HGV traffic—may have initially sounded reassuring to some, a deeper look raised serious concerns. It's important that local residents are fully aware of the wider implications.

These are just a few of the issues we wanted to highlight for now. There are other worrying factors too, including flood risk, silica dust, long-term health impacts, and broader environmental disruption. Here’s what we learned:

🚛 HGV Movements: A Significant Increase in Traffic

The exhibition quoted an average of 86 HGV movements per day. Based on proposed operating hours of 7am to 6pm, this equates to approximately one HGV movement every 7 to 8 minutes. This figure is an average, meaning there would likely be periods with a higher volume of traffic.

We also learned about the proposed HGV route from the site to Tru7’s headquarters at Sinks Pit in Kesgrave. The route would take HGVs through several local communities, raising potential concerns around air quality, road safety, and congestion.

Road Width Concerns

Take a look at this video of a standard transit van driving along Westerfield Road. You’ll see it already needs to straddle the centre line just to navigate safely—and that’s just a van. HGVs are significantly wider, often requiring over seven metres of clear carriageway for two to pass one another without risking a collision.

Given the current road widths, how can we realistically accommodate regular HGV traffic—let alone two HGVs meeting head-on? This raises serious safety and congestion concerns that must be properly addressed before any additional heavy vehicles are allowed on this already narrow and busy route.

🔍 Mitigation Measures: Concerns Around Enforcement

Tru7 outlined a number of proposed mitigation measures. However, there was limited detail on how these would be monitored or enforced. This raises several questions:

Who will be counting the number of HGV movements each day?
Who will be ensuring that HGVs stick to the approved route?
How will mitigation measures work when the B1077 is frequently closed, or when the rail crossing is down—both of which are regular occurrences?

Without clear answers, it’s difficult to see how effective these mitigations would be in practice.

⚠️ A Precedent for Future Expansion

We’re also concerned that, if approved, this application could set a precedent for future changes—whether that’s a longer operational period, increased activity, site expansion, or all three. Once approval is granted, these changes often become harder to challenge. Too often, residents are left dealing with the fallout while companies quietly move the goalposts.

📢 How You Can Help

The planning application is expected soon, and once it’s submitted, there will be just 30 days to object.

Here’s how you can help:

✅ Register on our website, Facebook and WhatsApp if you haven’t already – we’ll notify you as soon as the objection period opens.

💷 Interested in donating? Fill in this contact form and we’ll get in touch with more information.

✍️ Can you help with the objection itself? Let us know using the same form – we’d be keen to hear from you.

📣 Spread the word – talk to your friends, neighbours, family and colleagues. Encourage them to sign up too so they’re ready to object when the time comes.

🙋‍♀️ Want to volunteer? Whether it's delivering leaflets, helping at events, or offering a specific skill, we’d love to have your support. Use the contact form to let us know how you’d like to help.

This is a critical moment. Please stay informed and get involved.