HOPE has been expressed by ward councillors that one of the benefits of the creation of the new Thames Freeport in Thurrock will be an end to HGV problems for residents in Wharf Road in Stanford and on roads in other parts of the town.

Wharf Road is particularly blighted by problems with large vehicles who have to use it to approach and leave the Stanhope industrial park.

Problems on the residential road, which include damage to parked cars and frequent blockages as large vehicles get stuck at narrow points are well documented. Police have even been involved as some incidents have spilled over into confrontation.

A residents' action group has fought, without much success despite producing repeated evidence of the problems, for improvements and increased enforcement of existing regulations to mitigate the problems.

Largely their appeals for help have fallen on deaf ears and Thurrock Council has been particularly criticised for not doing enough.

However, the two ward councillors for Stanford West, Terry Piccolo and Shane Hebb have delivered news to local residents that a bid for a feasibility study about the creation of a relief road to connect with the Manorway or service roads to London Gateway Port has been included in the submission to the government of Thames Freeport's business case. The submission was received by the government in July.

A joint statement from the councillors, who acknowledge the frequent breaches of traffic regulations by businesses on the site, to residents this week says: "We wanted to share with you some news we think will be of interest.

"We know residents experience issues with large vehicles driving through the area, including outside of approved hours into the evening, nights and Sundays and bank holidays.

"We have been pushing for the new Thames Freeport process to consider an infrastructure connection between Stanhope and the Manorway.

"Specifically an assessment of whether a link road was feasible between the estate and the DP World approach road to help enhance connections to an industrial estate and at the same time eliminate the need for industrial traffic to navigate through Wharf Road, Corringham Road and London Road.

"Our request for a feasibility study to be completed as part of the Freeport effort has been formally submitted to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government."

The feasibility of such a road is not really in question. It was researched and considered by the Thames Gateway Development Corporation which ran planning in Thurrock from 2005 to 2012 but though it was promised as part of planning commitments made about Stanhope, the project was never delivered.