Fed-up residents in a Mearns coastal village say they have reached the end of their tether over trucks hitting their homes trying to negotiate the community’s narrow streets.
Seaview Terrace in Johnshaven is one of the trouble hotspots in the picturesque village between Montrose and Inverbervie.
Local Don Marr lives in the C-listed Old Schoolhouse there, part of which was hit six times in 2020 alone.
Don returned from holiday last week to find an HGV had dislodged another part of a garage wall.
Sat Nav
“It’s beyond a joke,” said the 82-year-old.
He and neighbour Paul Cutsforth, 75, live opposite each other on a tight corner of Seaview Terrace and say stuck HGVs and jammed-in vans are a regular occurrence.
“The streets of Johnshaven were built for horse and cart, not the big vans and trucks we have today,” said Don.
“They all follow the sat nav if they are coming down to Seaview Terrace.
“But by the time they get down here it’s too late when they realise how narrow it is.
“The garage up on the corner has been reversed into numerous times and I came back last week to discover the latest damage.
“At our corner, the roof of the house also juts out and the guttering has been clipped so many times.
“We sit in our house and we just know that if we hear a lorry there could be trouble,” said Don.
“They even brought a new council refuse wagon down and I told them that they wouldn’t get it around, but they gave it a go – and got stuck!”
Online shopping
He added: “With the pandemic a lot more people are shopping online.
“We are seeing delivery lorries and supermarket vans all coming down and getting into trouble.
“You can see them cursing when they realise they have followed the directions on the screen and are well and truly stuck.”
“With the pandemic a lot more people are shopping online.
“We are seeing delivery lorries and supermarket vans all the time.”
Paul moved to the village around three years’ ago and has put up his own additional protection to try and prevent damage to the corner of his property.
His garage roof is also regularly clipped by big vehicles trying to squeeze through the narrow gap.
Signs
Don added: “This has been going on for years and we have been back and forth to the council.
“But they are just not interested and say there are ample signs to warn lorry drivers.
“There is a sign at the top of the road, but it’s been hit so often we have to keep the ladder handy to climb back up and turn it around the right way.”
Aberdeenshire Council say they have looked at the area and consider there is “adequate signage” to deter HGVs.
A spokesperson said: “Signage is in place at both ends of Seaview Terrace in Johnshaven to advise that the road is unsuitable for HGVs.
“We would urge all HGV drivers to be cautious on narrow roads and follow local traffic regulations.”