An enforcement officer for Pembrokeshire County Council has visited a site in Narberth to discuss with the developers the issue of mud being dragged onto the highway, after local residents said that they’d had to put up with the ‘unnecessary filth’ for too long.

Resident Ken Morgan stated last week to the Observer that Persimmon Homes - the developers behind a new housing scheme between Station Road and Jesse Road, were ‘disregarding highway safety’ with the mess they were creating along the route, writing to PCC officers and local county councillors regarding the matter.

A response from PCC enforcement officer Julian Wood stated that he visited the site on Tuesday to meet with the new site manager to discuss the issue of mud being dragged onto the highway.

“I would say that the situation had improved significantly since your photographs had been taken earlier in the morning and the access had received another covering of clean stone,” he stated in correspondence to Mr. Morgan.

“In addition to this, the delivery lorries are being off loaded within the newly stoned area so that there is minimal opportunity to drag additional mud onto the carriageway.

“A mechanical road sweeper is in operation to keep the road surface clean. There is a wheel washing facility on the site but the operator has advised that its use is counter productive, as the water run off creates its own problems.

“I have asked that a hard surfaced (tarmac) area be created around the point of access with a drainage connection around the whole area so that lorries leaving the site can stand on a bound material while wheel washing takes place prior to leaving the site.

“I am now awaiting confirmation from Persimmon of the intention to undertake this work along with a timescale for implementation,” he continued.

Mr. Morgan, a chartered architect, has stated that he believes the work on the development should be stopped until effective on site measures are implemented.

“Highways safety is also being compromised at present. On three separate occasions I have been involved in having to reverse over a few hundred yards with four or five other cars when the Road sweeper or a site delivery wagon has interfered with the synchronised flow of the traffic lights,” he remarked.

Local county councillor Vic Dennis said that he shared a lot of the ‘frustrations’ of residents over the operations by Persimmon at the site.

“Whilst the problems of mud, parking and traffic flow were shorter lived whilst the site was being accessed off Jesse Road, there have been several problems on Station Road that have been more difficult to resolve,” he said.

“That does not mean that efforts have not been made. I have been corresponding with officers from the Planning and Highways section of PCC frequently and forwarding many complaints that I have received from residents who are directly affected by the site operation.

“Some of those complaints and concerns have been dealt with but sadly others have not. I’m disappointed that so much mud is escaping from the site and proposals to remedy this, that were agreed last week, have not been fully implemented,” he continued, stating that he was in contact with PCC’s streetcare manager Marc Owen over the matter.