East Surrey MP, Peter Ainsworth, has reacted with surprise to a letter from a local business after he contacted its director on behalf of a constituent.

Blockade Services, based at Lambs Business Park, Tilburstow Hill Road, South Godstone, which runs a fleet of HGVs, has said that road safety "clearly does not concern our company".

Earlier this month a local resident contacted Mr Ainsworth to express concern about the way that HGVs were continuing to use Harts Lane, South Godstone, as a rat-run, despite having been warned by the police that the narrow, rural road was unsuitable. Blockade Services was one of the businesses identified as allowing its vehicles to use the lane. In response, Mr Ainsworth undertook to contact the company to draw attention to the risk to public safety.  A copy of Mr Ainsworth’s letter is attached.

In his reply, Steve Burrows of Blockade admitted that the company’s HGVs do use Harts Lane (albeit "very rarely"). He also states that "we would be grateful if you would use your time in the commons on (sic) matters of much importance (sic), that being (sic) the condition of the roads in our borough (sic) rather than contacting us on an issue which clearly does not concern our company".

Peter Ainsworth comments;

“Blockade's website reports that this company undertakes work for the public sector and that it is regulated by the Environment Agency. No doubt its customers and regulator would be interested to know that, when approached on a matter of public safety, Blockade's response is that they are not concerned.

“I understand that there was recently a collision between a passenger car and an HGV in Harts Lane resulting in a serious injury. I thought that this was worth raising, in a polite way, with the company. I am surprised by their response, which hardly strikes me as responsible. Blockade might also wish to think about the impact of HGVs on the condition of local roads.”

Following a helpful response from PC Moira Cocks, Tandridge Casualty Reduction Officer, Mr Ainsworth has also written to Surrey Highways to support PC Cocks’s suggestion of erecting road signs on Harts Lane, warning of its unsuitability for HGVs.