A HOLSWORTHY resident has written to local town and district councillors and the local MP highlighting her concerns regarding the traffic problems at Waterloo Hill, Holsworthy.

Mrs Cath Timmins believes Waterloo Road "is a serious accident waiting to happen."

In a letter to the Holsworthy Town Clerk, Mrs Clare Dalley, Holsworthy Mayor, Cllr David Smith, Devon Highways, Torridge District Councillors Barry Parsons and Richard Brown, and the MP for Torridge and West Devon Geoffrey Cox, Mrs Timmins enclosed a number of photographs illustrating the problems at Waterloo Road.

Mrs Timmins described several incidents where lorries and tankers had become stuck, unable to negotiate the gradient of Waterloo Hill.

She wrote: "Another incident that has just happened (January 14, 2009) caused complete chaos from late afternoon to early evening. Yet again in the same spot on Waterloo Hill where the gradient is so steep. Lorry completely stuck in rush hour.

"The police were involved having to direct the flow of traffic in both directions with the lorry having to wait until a breakdown van came to its aid.

"The main problem seems to be with the articulated vehicles because of the steep incline on Waterloo Hill. These trailers are secured to the cabs by means of a kingpin and the gradient of the hill causes the trailer to lift on the kingpin so transferring the weight off the drive wheels of the arctics causing loss of traction."

Mrs Timmins believes the town's infrastructure needs to be seriously looked at: "The antiquated roads in Holsworthy and especially Waterloo Road, which is a 'B' road, were never designed to accommodate this form of transport. These issues need to be addressed now especially as Holsworthy is promoting expansion with the industrial estate and businesses, plus extra housing, etc.

"It is all well and good to make the town one to be proud of but in doing so the infrastructures have got to be addressed and remedies found to accommodate all the changes."

She warned: "At the moment Waterloo Road is a serious accident waiting to happen... and happen it will as in the past. I have brought these problems to your attention before and with Chapel Street closed at the moment the situation is intolerable. The noise both day and night is horrendous. What would happen if Waterloo Road had to be closed as well, where would the traffic go then?"

In her letter, Mrs Timmins suggested a solution: "The ideal solution has got to be a link road via Anvil Corner to loop away from Holsworthy Beacon for heavy vehicles to get to the industrial estate and an extension link on the industrial estate road for heavy vehicles to Bude and the south.

"Waterloo Road should have a weight restriction and I have asked before, why oh why is there a 60mph speed limit on such a dangerous road which is no bigger than a country lane in parts?

"I hope you will seriously take on board the problems that we are having to put up with. The vehicles of today are far bigger and noisier than a few years ago so cannot be compared.

"I would love to see Holsworthy town grow and prosper. I love living here and it can be achieved with the proper planning and forethought."